Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was placed under federal police custody on Saturday ahead of a planned gathering of supporters near his residence, marking the conclusion of his months-long house arrest while he appealed a conviction by the Supreme Court for a coup conspiracy.
Bolsonaro’s lawyer, Celso Vilardi, confirmed the detainment without specifying a cause. A federal police spokesperson mentioned that Bolsonaro underwent initial assessments in Brasilia on Saturday morning.
The detention was ordered by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes in a court ruling, which highlighted concerns that the presence of encamped supporters could impede police supervision of Bolsonaro’s house arrest. Moraes also pointed out indications of tampering with the former president’s ankle monitor the previous night.
Moraes justified the detention order on Saturday by stating, “The disorder caused by an unlawful gathering of the convict’s supporters poses a significant risk to the house arrest and other precautionary measures, potentially facilitating his escape.” The judge referenced information suggesting Bolsonaro had contemplated seeking refuge at the Argentine Embassy in Brasilia. Additionally, Moraes noted that one of Bolsonaro’s sons and other close associates had fled Brazil to evade legal repercussions.
Another legal representative of Bolsonaro refrained from providing immediate commentary on the court’s decision.
Following his defeat in the 2022 election to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the right-wing ex-president received a 27-year and three-month sentence in September for orchestrating a coup.
Bolsonaro was identified as the mastermind and primary beneficiary of a plan to prevent Lula from assuming the presidency in 2023. Nevertheless, no final arrest warrant has been issued in that case as Bolsonaro’s appeal options have not been exhausted.
For over 100 days, Bolsonaro has been confined to strict house arrest for breaching precautionary directives in a separate case involving alleged solicitation of U.S. intervention to impede his legal proceedings.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, a previous ally of Bolsonaro during their tenures, denounced the case as a “witch hunt.” Trump imposed penalties on Moraes, the overseeing justice, and initiated a 50% tariff on certain Brazilian imports, a measure he has begun to reverse this month.
While under house arrest, Bolsonaro was prohibited from using social media but received visits from political supporters.
Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, his son, urged backers on social media to assemble outside his father’s residence in Brasilia on Saturday evening.
“I urge you to stand with us,” the senator conveyed in an online video. “With your support, the people’s support, we will resist and restore Brazil.”
If Bolsonaro’s appeals prove unsuccessful, his defense team is anticipated to request authorization for him to serve his nearly 30-year sentence under house arrest, citing various health concerns. The former president, who was wounded in the abdomen during a 2018 campaign rally, has a medical history of hospitalizations and surgeries linked to the incident.
Brazil’s electoral court had previously barred Bolsonaro from running for office until 2030 after finding him guilty of misusing his authority during his 2022 reelection campaign.
