Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was taken into custody by federal police on Saturday just before a planned gathering of his supporters near his residence. This marked the end of his months-long house arrest while he appealed a conviction by the Supreme Court for conspiring to overthrow the government.
Bolsonaro’s lawyer, Celso Vilardi, verified the detention without providing a specific reason. A representative from the federal police mentioned that Bolsonaro underwent initial procedures in Brasilia on Saturday morning.
The detention was ordered by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who expressed concerns about the risk posed by Bolsonaro’s supporters camping near his residence, potentially hindering police surveillance. Moraes also highlighted evidence of tampering with Bolsonaro’s ankle monitor the previous night.
In the court decision, Moraes emphasized the potential threat to Bolsonaro’s house arrest and other precautions due to the disorder caused by the illegal gathering. He referenced information suggesting that Bolsonaro had contemplated seeking asylum at the Argentine Embassy in Brasilia. Several of Bolsonaro’s associates, including one of his sons, had already fled the country to evade legal actions.
Another attorney representing Bolsonaro declined to comment immediately on the court’s ruling. Bolsonaro, a right-wing former leader, had been sentenced to over 27 years in prison in September for his involvement in a coup plot following his defeat in the 2022 election to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
While Bolsonaro was identified as the key figure in a conspiracy to prevent Lula from assuming office in 2023, no final arrest warrant has been issued yet, as Bolsonaro has not exhausted all legal appeals.
Bolsonaro had been confined to strict house arrest for more than 100 days due to breaching precautionary measures in a separate case related to allegedly soliciting U.S. intervention to impede his criminal prosecution.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, a former ally of Bolsonaro, criticized the legal proceedings as a “witch hunt” and imposed sanctions on Moraes, the overseeing judge, as well as a 50% tariff on certain Brazilian imports, which he recently began to ease.
During his house arrest, Bolsonaro was prohibited from using social media but received visits from political supporters. His son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, urged supporters via social media to gather outside his father’s residence in Brasilia on Saturday evening, calling for a united effort to “rescue Brazil.”
If Bolsonaro’s appeals are unsuccessful, his defense team is likely to request permission for him to serve his lengthy sentence under house arrest, citing various health issues. Bolsonaro, who survived a stabbing during a campaign event in 2018, has a medical history of hospitalizations and surgeries stemming from the attack.
Previously, Bolsonaro had been disqualified from running for office until 2030 after the country’s electoral court found him guilty of abusing his authority during his 2022 re-election campaign.
