 "Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro attending a session of the Supreme Court as it decides if he will face trial in Brasilia. AFP")
A judge from Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered former president Jair Bolsonaro to be placed under house arrest after he breached court-imposed restrictions linked to an ongoing investigation into an alleged coup attempt.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled on Monday that Bolsonaro, a close ally of US President Trump, had broken a ban on using social media, which was imposed last month. At that time, he was also ordered to wear an electronic ankle tag.
Moraes ruled that Bolsonaro used the social media accounts of his allies to share posts on Sunday encouraging protests, attacking the Supreme Court, and supporting foreign intervention in Brazil’s judiciary. These messages appeared as demonstrations in support of the former president took place in cities across the country.
“There is no doubt the conditions of the precautionary measures were violated,” Moraes wrote.
Under the court’s order, Bolsonaro will be confined to the mansion he rents in a gated compound in southern Brasília. Only close family and lawyers will be allowed to visit, and even they will not be permitted to use mobile phones, take photos, or record video during visits. Federal police have been instructed to seize all mobile phones on the property.
Moraes also noted that despite the social media ban, Bolsonaro took part in a rally on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro by speaking to supporters over the phone. His son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, held the phone to a microphone so the crowd could hear him. Flávio later posted – then deleted – a video of the incident on social media.
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More ShortsMoraes called the deletion “a blatant attempt” to hide the violation of court orders. “The breach was so obvious that even the defendant’s son felt compelled to erase the evidence from Instagram,” he added.
This house arrest order is part of a larger Supreme Court case in which Bolsonaro is accused of plotting to overturn the results of the 2022 election, which he lost to current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. If convicted, Bolsonaro could face over 40 years in prison. The trial is expected to conclude later this year.
Commenting on the development, political analyst Fernando Gabeira told GloboNews: “Bolsonaro is being arrested in stages. The Supreme Court seems to be guiding him to prison gradually – perhaps to avoid a major public backlash.”
Tensions have been rising in Brasília. Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters on Sunday gathered outside the central bank. Many carried signs backing the former president and even appealed to US president Donald Trump for support.
One protester, Álvaro Junior, 64, held a sign reading “Thank you, Trump” and said, “I’d like to give Trump a hug and thank him for caring about us.”
Trump tariffs on Brazil and Bolsonaro ‘witch hunt’
The US recently imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Brazilian goods in response to what Trump described as a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro. The move has been praised by Bolsonaro supporters, with one demonstrator wearing a red MAGA hat saying, “We now feel even more admiration and love for the American people.”
Metal barricades have been installed around key government buildings, including the Supreme Court, Congress, and the Foreign Ministry, in anticipation of more right-wing protests.
Last week, Trump’s administration escalated tensions further by placing sanctions on Justice Moraes. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused him of leading a campaign of “censorship, arbitrary arrests, and political prosecutions, including against Bolsonaro”.
In his latest ruling, Moraes accused Bolsonaro of continuing to violate the law “in a more severe and defiant manner,” and attempting to involve a foreign leader to pressure Brazil’s judiciary, calling it a “clear violation of national sovereignty”.