Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was taken into custody by federal police on Saturday before a planned gathering of his supporters near his residence, marking the conclusion of his months-long house arrest while appealing a Supreme Court conviction for conspiracy to stage a coup.
Bolsonaro’s lawyer, Celso Vilardi, confirmed the detention without specifying the cause. A federal police representative mentioned that Bolsonaro underwent intake procedures in Brasilia on Saturday morning.
The detention was ordered by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes in a court ruling, pointing to the risk posed by encamped supporters hindering the police’s surveillance of Bolsonaro’s house arrest. Moraes also highlighted evidence of tampering with the ex-president’s ankle monitor the previous night.
In the decision issued on Saturday, Moraes stated, “The disorder caused by an unlawful gathering of the convict’s supporters significantly increases the likelihood of jeopardizing the house arrest and other precautionary measures, potentially enabling his escape.”
The judge referenced information indicating that Bolsonaro had contemplated seeking asylum at the Argentine Embassy in Brasilia. Moraes also noted in his ruling that one of Bolsonaro’s sons and other close associates had fled Brazil to evade legal consequences.
Another attorney for Bolsonaro declined immediate comment on the court’s ruling. The conservative former leader was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison in September for orchestrating a coup following his defeat in the 2022 election to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Bolsonaro was identified as the mastermind and primary beneficiary of a scheme aimed at preventing Lula from assuming the presidency in 2023. Notably, a final arrest warrant has yet to be issued by the courts in that matter, as Bolsonaro has not exhausted all avenues for appeal.
For over 100 days, Bolsonaro has been under strict house arrest due to breaching precautionary measures in a separate case related to allegedly seeking U.S. intervention to impede his criminal trial.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had a cordial relationship with Bolsonaro during their time in office, criticized the legal proceedings as a “witch hunt.” He imposed sanctions on Justice Moraes overseeing the case and imposed a 50% tariff on certain Brazilian imports, a measure he has recently begun to reverse.
During his house arrest, Bolsonaro was restricted from using social media but received visits from political allies. His son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, urged supporters via social media to assemble outside his father’s residence in Brasilia on Saturday evening.
In case his appeals are unsuccessful, Bolsonaro’s defense team is anticipated to request authorization for him to serve his nearly 30-year sentence under house arrest, citing various health issues. The former president, who was previously attacked during a campaign event in 2018, has a history of hospitalizations and surgeries stemming from the assault.
Bolsonaro had previously been disqualified from running for public office until 2030 following a ruling by Brazil’s electoral court, which found him guilty of misusing his position during his 2022 re-election campaign.
