Argentina Federal Judge Alfredo Eugenio López Removed Over Antisemitic Social Media Posts
Argentina’s Jury of Impeachment officially removed Alfredo Eugenio López, head of Federal Court No. 4 in Mar del Plata, following a disciplinary case centered on antisemitic social media posts. The tribunal panel rejected the judge’s defense that his online activity was protected under free speech, ruling instead that his comments constituted a severe ethical breach and a repeated pattern of deficient performance.
Disciplinary Proceedings and Rejection of Free Speech Defense
During the disciplinary hearings, López attempted to defend himself by claiming his posts were protected under free speech principles and that he was the target of ideological persecution, according to reporting by JFeed. The tribunal panel—composed of judges, attorneys, members of the Chamber of Deputies, and senators—firmly rejected those arguments. Investigators established that the remarks did not represent isolated errors, but rather a recurring pattern of offensive statements that created symbolic violence and subjugation toward the Jewish community.
Facing mounting pressure after the indictment committee advanced formal charges, López attempted to resign to avoid the stigma of removal. Local authorities, however, refused to accept the resignation and insisted the legal process run its course. Following that refusal, the full Judicial Council, led by Supreme Court President and Council President Horacio Rosatti, advanced the formal impeachment that ultimately stripped López of his federal bench.
Social Media Evidence and Formal Complaints
The disciplinary case relied on 15 specific posts published by López, as detailed by Hidabroot. In those messages, the judge referred to Jewish people as “rats” and questioned the loyalty of the community to the Argentine state. In one particular post featuring a photograph of Argentina’s Chief Rabbi, Eliyahu Hamra, López wrote, “Will they use the Torah or the national constitution?”, an implication that the community lacked constitutional allegiance.
The formal complaint against the federal judge was filed by the Delegation of Argentine Jewish Associations (DAIA), alongside vice president Sabrina Ajmechet, who also leads the Argentine Forum Against Antisemitism, and attorneys Yamil Santoro and José Magioncalda. The jury that evaluated the complaint was headed by Judge Marcelo Gastón Bartolomé Romero and included an additional judge, four senators, and a representative of the Bar Association. The Judicial Council ultimately concluded that López failed to recognize the equal rights of the Jewish community in Argentina and actively sought to promote public discrimination.
Institutional Accountability and Legal Precedent
Furthermore, President Javier Milei actively intervened during the procedural timeline, ordering that the judge’s sudden resignation letter be rejected and instructing federal prosecutors to pursue criminal proceedings against López alongside the impeachment process.
