Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court has ruled to place former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest. The decision was made after Bolsonaro violated restrictions imposed by Judge Alexandre de Moraes.
In July, Bolsonaro, who is accused of attempting to influence the investigation into an alleged coup plot, was ordered to wear an electronic tag, remain at home at night and on weekends, and refrain from posting on social media.
The former president is now prohibited from leaving his home, except to visit his lawyers and immediate family members. All mobile phones in the house have been confiscated.
In his ruling, Judge de Moraes stated that Bolsonaro had spread provocative messages through the accounts of his three sons, who are members of parliament. In his opinion, these posts contained calls for attacks on the court and approval of foreign interference in the Brazilian judicial system. On August 3, a video message from the former president to his supporters briefly appeared on Senator Flávio Bolsonaro’s Instagram account.
“The disregard for the restrictions imposed was so obvious that the defendant’s son hastily deleted the post to conceal the offence,” de Moraes emphasised.
Bolsonaro’s defence team has already announced its intention to appeal the court’s decision.
House arrest is part of an ongoing investigation in which Bolsonaro is suspected of attempting to overturn the results of the presidential election in which he lost to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. If found guilty, the former head of state could face more than 40 years in prison. The verdict is expected to be handed down before the end of the year.
“Bolsonaro is being arrested in stages,” political commentator Fernando Gabeira said on GloboNews. “The Supreme Court is, perhaps deliberately, conducting this process gradually to avoid a public explosion.”
The political situation in the country is escalating. Last Sunday, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters gathered outside the Central Bank building to express their support for him.
Some participants called on former US President Donald Trump to intervene, recalling the 50% tariffs recently imposed on Brazil, which, according to the protesters, were a response to the “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro.
“I would like to hug Trump and thank him for his support,” said 64-year-old Alvaro Junior, holding a placard reading “Thank you, Trump.”
Ahead of possible unrest, the authorities have stepped up security measures, with metal barriers erected around the Supreme Court, the Foreign Ministry and Congress.
Last week, Trump exacerbated the situation by imposing sanctions against Judge Moraes. According to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Moraes is responsible for “repressive policies, arbitrary detentions and politically motivated prosecutions, including actions against Jair Bolsonaro.”
