The judge’s decision came after Pedro Frazão’s defense submitted a document to the Criminal Local Court of Lisbon on Tuesday, in which the Commission on Transparency and the Statute of Members of Parliament of the Assembly of the Republic stated that a new parliamentary authorization is needed for the Chega deputy to be tried, even though it had already been granted in the previous legislature.
In the ruling issued today in the courtroom, the judge instructed that, given the existence of a prior authorization, the Commission must clarify to the court whether a new request to lift parliamentary immunity is indeed necessary, and if so, it should be forwarded to the Assembly.
The next session of the trial is scheduled for January 12, 2026, and will feature testimonies from Pedro Frazão, should he choose to speak, and José Manuel Pureza.
According to the indictment by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, accessed by Lusa, in 2021 the Chega deputy posted a video on the social media platform Twitter (now X) of a “young militant/supporter of the Left Bloc [BE], in which she summarizes being a victim of non-consensual sexual acts by an individual linked to the mentioned party.”
Accompanying the video, Pedro Frazão wrote: “Is there no longer Purity in the Left Bloc of Squalor? #MeToo,” also questioning in a comment who the “62-year-old repulsive” person was.
At the time of the publication, José Manuel Pureza, who is the coordinator of BE since November 30, 2025, was the Vice-President of the Assembly of the Republic and an elected deputy for the party.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office stated that Pedro Frazão was “fully aware” that José Manuel Pureza “belonged to the organs of the Left Bloc, had been elected as a deputy for that party, and was 62 years old.”
Additionally, according to the accusation, the Chega deputy “was aware that the words he wrote, by being published on a social media platform (…) could be viewed by a wide audience,” thereby casting suspicion of a potential crime against sexual freedom and self-determination.
Pedro Frazão is charged with a crime of aggravated defamation with publicity and did not attend today’s trial session.
The absence was deemed justified by the court, considering the content of the document dated Tuesday from the Commission on Transparency and the Statute of Members of Parliament.
[Updated at 1:07 PM]
