Graffiti artist Aria Crespo paints a mural of slain councilwoman and human rights activist Marielle Franco during a march against her murder in the Mare Complex slum of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, March 18, 2018. Franco's murder came just a month after the government put the military in charge of security in Rio, which is experiencing a sharp spike in violence less than two years after hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Republished March 28, 2018 - 3:22 PM
Original Publication Date March 28, 2018 - 11:51 AM
RIO DE JANEIRO - A Brazilian judge on Wednesday gave Facebook 24 hours to remove fake news posts about a Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman who was slain earlier this month.
Judge Jorge Jansen Counago Novelle rdered the removal of "false information with criminal content on councilwoman Marielle Franco, whose memory cannot be disrespected."
Cesar Bianconi, Facebook's spokesman in Brazil, said the company would comply with the judge's order.
After gunmen killed Franco, fake news reports started appearing on Facebook saying she was connected to drug traffickers operating in the slums of Rio.
Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes, were shot to death in their car as they returned from an event focused on empowering black women. The killing touched off days of demonstrations by people angered by Franco's death.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018