PGR forwards an opinion to Fachin for archiving the fake news inquiry

The document is signed by the Attorney General of the Republic, Paulo Gonet, who states that the object of the investigation has been exhausted.

The procedures derived from the investigation that are still ongoing must be analyzed on a case-by-case basis.

The archiving request applies to the main investigation, number 4,781. Another 103 procedures were opened as a result of the main investigation, including petitions and preliminary investigations at different procedural stages.

Edson Fachin has already ordered the shelving of eight investigations linked to the fake news inquiry. Other procedures must be analyzed individually.

This is one of the last steps for Fachin to close the investigation. He took charge of the process after withdrawing minister Alexandre de Moraes' report in September.

At the time, amid the crisis in the STF involving ministers Alexandre de Moraes and André Mendonça and discussions about the investigations into the Master case, the president of the STF decided to remove Moraes from reporting on the fake news inquiry.

Fachin also began to archive part of these procedures and forwarded the cases to the PGR for comment. Now, Gonet has spoken out for the definitive archiving of the main investigation.

Opened seven years ago to investigate attacks, threats and fake news against the STF and its ministers, the so-called fake news inquiry has accumulated, over the years, decisions that expanded the scope of the investigation and generated controversies inside and outside the Court.

Over the years, it has given rise to different investigations and measures, such as blocking accounts on social networks, searches and seizures and breaches of confidentiality.

In September, Fachin took over as rapporteur and stated that the change sought to establish "legal security" and an "adequate institutional delimitation". Before taking over the process, the current president of the STF was already defending the closure of the investigation.

With the PGR's statement, it will now be up to Fachin to decide on the definitive archiving of the investigation. Procedures arising from the investigation that are still ongoing will be analyzed separately.