Brazil’s Supreme Court Orders House Arrest for Former President Jair Bolsonaro

by Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro to be placed under house arrest on Monday, escalating a high-stakes legal battle over accusations that he attempted to orchestrate a military coup to block the transfer of power following the 2022 election. The move comes after Bolsonaro allegedly violated a court-imposed social media ban and curfew while his trial looms.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the case, accused Bolsonaro of inciting attacks against the court by sharing messages through third parties–including his sons–that called supporters to the streets and criticized Brazil’s judiciary. Over the weekend, Bolsonaro supporters rallied in major cities including Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, waving American flags and holding signs denouncing the Supreme Court. Bolsonaro, under curfew at the time, addressed demonstrators by speakerphone through his son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, a move de Moraes said clearly breached his restrictions.

“There is no doubt that the cautionary measures imposed on [Bolsonaro] were violated,” de Moraes wrote. “The defendant produced material for publication on the social media accounts of his three sons and of all his followers and political supporters, clearly instigating and inciting attacks on the Supreme Court.”

The charges against Bolsonaro are unprecedented in Brazil’s modern history. A two-year police investigation alleges that Bolsonaro plotted to remain in power after losing to leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, including discussions of assassinating key political figures such as da Silva, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and Justice de Moraes–potentially with poison or explosives. Authorities say the coup plot ultimately failed when military leaders refused to support it.

The court’s new ruling mandates that Bolsonaro remain under house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor. Only lawyers and family members are allowed to visit, and all electronic devices have been confiscated to prevent further communication with supporters or foreign contacts.

The U.S. government sharply criticized the decision. In a statement Monday, the State Department said it would “hold accountable all those aiding and abetting” what it called a political persecution. “Let Bolsonaro speak!” the statement read, calling the move a violation of human rights. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a travel ban on Justice de Moraes, members of Brazil’s Supreme Court, and their immediate families, further straining ties between the two nations.

Eduardo Bolsonaro, the former president’s son and a sitting congressman now residing in the U.S., called Justice de Moraes “an unhinged psychopath” on social media, accusing Brazil’s judiciary of authoritarianism. Former President Donald Trump, a vocal ally of Bolsonaro, also weighed in, calling the case a “witch hunt” and drawing parallels to his own legal struggles. Trump previously cited Bolsonaro’s prosecution when he announced a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports last month.

Brazil’s current president, da Silva, has remained defiant. “No gringo is going to give orders to the president of the Republic,” he told supporters, defending the judiciary’s handling of the case. De Moraes likewise insisted that the court would “protect Brazil’s sovereignty” against any foreign pressure.

The case marks a historic moment in Brazil’s turbulent political landscape. Bolsonaro is the fourth former Brazilian president to face detention in less than a decade. Da Silva himself was jailed in 2018 before the Supreme Court overturned the ruling, citing judicial bias by then-judge Sergio Moro, whom Bolsonaro later appointed as justice minister.

With Bolsonaro already barred from seeking office until 2030, his supporters fear the Supreme Court is working to eliminate him from political life altogether ahead of next year’s presidential election. Bolsonaro, however, has signaled he may attempt to run regardless, betting on electoral court support and continued backing from Trump.

“This will once again test Brazil’s young democracy–especially given public statements and some involvement by Trump in the process,” said political analyst Rafael Cortez of São Paulo-based Tendências.

As the trial proceeds, tensions between Brazil’s judiciary, its political factions, and international allies continue to escalate–setting the stage for what could be one of the most consequential constitutional showdowns in Brazil’s modern era.

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