A legal document submitted last Friday to the Lisbon Court, drafted by lawyer Ricardo Sá Fernandes, represents a special action for the protection of personality rights. Initiated by members of the Roma community, the plaintiffs seek to compel André Ventura to remove the posters within 24 hours and impose a fine of 5,000 euros for each day of delay or for any similar posters that might be displayed in the future.
The posters, placed in various locations, including Moita, Montijo, and Palmela, feature André Ventura as a presidential candidate along with the phrase: “Os ciganos têm de cumprir a lei” (“The Roma must obey the law”).
The plaintiffs argue that these posters transmit a message implying that the Roma do not obey the law, which serves to stigmatize and humiliate the Roma community as a whole.
“They feel powerless to stop the wave of xenophobia and disdain against the Roma that the placement of these posters generates in Portuguese society,” states the document. If accepted by the court, this action does not require the approval of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The message on the posters “offends their moral integrity and their right to dignity,” the plaintiffs further argued, emphasizing that “André Ventura cannot hide behind freedom of expression.”
Once the action, which incurred a cost of 30,000 euros, is accepted by the court, it will have 20 days to schedule a hearing for a judge to decide whether André Ventura must remove the posters.
