Brazil: Federal Police Investigate Online Trade of Nazi Items
The National Human Rights Council (CNDH), an agency linked to the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship, has submitted a petition to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office requesting an investigation into the sale of Nazi memorabilia online, which continues to be offered under the claim of “historical preservation,” according to Folha de S.Paulo (Newspaper).
In a statement, the Prosecutor’s Office confirmed it has ordered the Federal Police to open a criminal inquiry. The investigation is currently being handled by the Federal Police’s headquarters in Brasília, which is working to identify those responsible for the listings.
Under Brazilian law, the sale of Nazi memorabilia is prohibited when intended to promote or disseminate Nazism, with penalties of up to five years in prison. Auctioneers, however, often justify the trade by claiming the items are for collectors.
LeilõesBR, one of the platforms hosting such auctions, stated that it only provides the technological infrastructure for auctioneers and organizers to conduct online sales. The company emphasized that it does not participate in the selection, curation, or authentication of the items, nor does it control their authenticity.
Items offered include battle merit medals priced at around R$600, as well as postcards and nursery cards featuring swastikas, starting at R$50.
The Jewish Federation of São Paulo State (Fisesp) condemned the sales as “deeply reprehensible.” In a statement, it said: “The commercialization of objects associated with the Nazi regime, even under the argument of collecting, is profoundly condemnable and cannot be treated as a neutral activity. Nazism is not merely a historical period; it is an ideology responsible for one of the greatest crimes against humanity, the Holocaust, which resulted in the murder of six million Jews and millions of other victims.”
The federation added: “The sale of these items is not morally indifferent: Nazi objects carry a symbolism of hatred, violence, and extermination. It contributes to the normalization and trivialization of this ideology and opens space for indirect advocacy, especially in digital environments that are difficult to monitor.”
Source: Conib
