Brazil Threatens Americans' Free Speech

Brazil Threatens Americans' Free Speech

Americans writers' free expression is under attack by foreign courts.

In the most recent assault, a Brazilian widow is suing an American reporter in a Brazilian court for allegedly defaming the entire nation of Brazil. She claims Joseph M. Sharkey, a New Jersey - based freelance travel columnist for the New York Times, offended the "dignity" of Brazil by criticizing its incompetent air-traffic control on his blog. Moreover, she claims that under Brazilian law, an "insult" to Brazil is also a personal insult to her as a Brazilian citizen.

The...