The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) in Paraíba filed a request for arrest and fine against the journalist and presenter of RedeTV! Sikêra Jr., 56, for making comments considered racist in 2018. The case happened during the presentation of Cidade em Ação, on TV Arapuan, his former broadcaster, after a report showed a black woman being arrested.
At the time, Sikêra referred to her as “slut”, “lazy” and “greasy”. In this way, the MPF understood that the journalist committed racism, whose penalty ranges from one to three years, and that he extrapolated the limits of freedom of expression. The complaint was filed on January 30th.
Wanted, Sikêra’s lawyer, Rannieri Lopes, claims that the presenter is not afraid of anything and that the defense does not believe in a conviction, because, according to him, it is a crime “only in the imagination of the MP [Ministério Público]”.
“The journalistic article that aired in 2018 does not bring any racial or even homophobic context. In fact, it is a journalistic criticism supported by our constitution. The proposed arrest warrant is very fragile and I believe that the judge did not should receive the complaint, as the alleged racial crime exists only in the MP’s imagination”, says the defense.
According to the lawyer, therefore, there would be no legal basis for the complaint and no one heard the presenter. “We have not yet been cited. Only after the defense will the judge analyze whether or not he receives the complaint. If he does not receive it, the action ends and does not become a process. Thus, it is very premature to talk about the arrest of the presenter”, adds the lawyer.
Asked about other complaints and lawsuits that Sikêra is involved in, moved mainly by other artists like Xuxa and Junno Andrade, Rannieri says that the presenter remains calm, as he has never been criminally convicted.
“Sikêra Jr. is a public person with an unblemished reputation. The fact that he presents a journalistic program with a sense of humor entails a certain animosity for whoever is being talked about. of concrete elements.”
I am Frederick Tuttle, who works in 247 News Agency as an author and mostly cover entertainment news. I have worked in this industry for 10 years and have gained a lot of experience. I am a very hard worker and always strive to get the best out of my work. I am also very passionate about my work and always try to keep up with the latest news and trends.
