Tofrani de Hora Lawrence, a Christian priest in Rio de Janeiro who regularly incited against Jews and incorporated shocking antisemitic remarks during his sermons, including calls for a second Holocaust against the Jews, was sentenced to a dramatic 18-year prison sentence last Thursday.
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Brazilian federal court judge Valeria Caldy Magallas handed down the extraordinary prison sentence against the priest.
De Hora Lawrence had been documented on many occasions uttering particularly harsh remarks against Jews.
In 2020, among other instances, the priest was documented asking God to slaughter and humiliate Jews.
"Massacre the Jews, God, beat them with your sword because they left you. They went with prostitutes and when they were told to repent they said they would do it but lied. God, you must do what you did in World War II again," he said.
Last February, police raided his antisemitic church and arrested de Hora Lawrence as part of a joint operation with the Jewish community.
Armed police raided his church and arrested de Hora Lawrence on suspicion of making a series of serious antisemitic remarks and suspicion of incitement.
It should be noted that in 2009, de Hora Lawrence became the first person convicted in Brazil for religious intolerance.
Four years later, he and other members of his congregation were arrested for racism, homophobia, and xenophobia.
Attorney Ricardo Sidi, who represents the Jewish community in Brazil, welcomed the achievement, hailing it as historic.
"This is a historic victory in the fight against antisemitism. This is the most serious criminal conviction in the history of Brazilian law for this type of crime, which should serve as an example to the world," he told Israel Hayom.
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