STF Minister Flávio Dino Reinstates Federal Police Director and Calls for Judicial Restraint

Supreme Court Minister Flávio Dino ordered the immediate reinstatement of Federal Police Director General Andrei Rodrigues and Intelligence Director Leandro Almada da Costa on Wednesday. The decision reverses a preventive suspension previously issued by Minister André Mendonça following a request from the Novo party. In his ruling, Dino stated that judges must exercise greater restraint during electoral periods to ensure decisions are seen as derivations of the law rather than results of partisan, ideological, or media pressure. He specifically advised magistrates to avoid public manifestations, such as videos or letters, that could be used to fuel political propaganda, rallies, or campaigns.

Dino's comments follow a video released last week by Minister Mendonça, in which he thanked religious supporters for their prayers during a crisis within the court. While a center-left source describes this as a general call for judicial decorum, a center-right source emphasizes that the video was shared by right-wing politicians and provides more detail on the underlying conflict. According to the center-right report, Mendonça had suspended the police chief based on allegations of illegal espionage, or arapongagem, and cited an anonymous report that allegedly hindered investigations. That same report, which the center-right source notes lacks official headers or signatures, was used by Minister Alexandre de Moraes to accuse Mendonça of abuse of authority and administrative improbity.