On Friday, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the suspension of X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, after Musk failed to appoint a new legal representative for the company in Brazil. The decision comes amid a prolonged conflict between Musk and Brazilian authorities over compliance with local regulations.

Musk, who has publicly positioned himself as a “free speech absolutist,” reacted angrily to the ruling, accusing Judge Moraes of attempting to undermine democracy in Brazil. In a series of posts on X, Musk denounced Moraes as an “evil dictator cosplaying as a judge” and claimed that the ban on X was a direct attack on free speech.

The dispute began when Moraes ordered the suspension of several X accounts linked to supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. These accounts were accused of spreading misinformation to discredit the country’s electoral system following Bolsonaro’s defeat in the 2022 presidential election. Musk’s refusal to comply with orders to remove these accounts or to appoint a new legal representative led to the suspension decision.

Musk linked the situation in Brazil to the upcoming U.S. presidential election, asserting that if Democratic candidates Kamala Harris and Tim Walz were elected, similar “attacks on free speech” could occur in America. Musk, a known supporter of former President Donald Trump, emphasized his concerns over perceived threats to freedom of expression.

Moraes’ ruling mandated the “complete suspension” of X’s operations in Brazil, with authorities instructed to enforce the decision within 24 hours. He also warned of fines for users who attempted to circumvent the ban using technological means like VPNs. The social media platform, which boasts over 22 million users in Brazil, had recently shut down its business operations in the country in response to what Musk described as “censorship orders.”