Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial for allegedly plotting a coup, has been given a house arrest order by Brazil’s Supreme Court.
The decision was made on Monday following Brazil’s daylong protests in support of the former far-right president.
Bolsonaro’s left-wing rival, current president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is accused of trying to overturn the 2022 election.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who was overseeing the case against Bolsonaro, is facing sanctions from the administration of US President Donald Trump.
According to Moraes, Bolsonaro violated the court’s security measures that limited the former president’s use of social media and political messaging.
Bolsonaro is accused of leading an armed criminal organization, plotting a coup, and abusing the democratic rule of law with force, aggravating damage and deteriorating heritage.
A coup conviction can lead to a 12-year prison term.
In January 2023, the former president’s supporters stormed the state’s institutions and rebuffed Lula’s victory. Bolsonaro had previously indicated that he had not resigned from publicly admitting his defeat.
Bolsonaro vehemently refutes the accusations levelled at him, calling the prosecution a witch-hunt.
Moraes claimed in a court ruling on Monday that the former president had posted information on his three sons’ social media accounts.
Bolsonaro continued, adding that Bolsonaro had “a clear message that encourages and encourages attacks against the Supreme Court and blatantly supports foreign intervention in the Brazilian Judiciary.”
Eduardo Bolsonaro’s son, Eduardo, was put in Moraes’ custody in July on suspicion that the funds were being used to smear the Brazilian government against the president.
Moraes was accused of acting like a dictator by Eduardo, who launched an attack on him.
I make it clear that I will not be intimidated and not be silenced if he believes this will prompt me to stop. In a social media post last month, the former president’s son wrote, “I prepared myself for this moment.”
This is yet another example of power abuse, and it confirms everything I’ve been saying to Washington and authorities all over the world.
Bolsonaro will continue to be under ankle monitoring as a result of the ruling, which will grant him access to his only trusted friends and attorneys. Additionally, he’ll seize every mobile phone in his home.
Brazil and the US are at a loggerhead over Bolsonaro’s prosecution.
Trump directly tied the tariffs to the trial of his fellow right-wing politician by imposing them on Brazil last month. The US administration then placed sanctions against Moraes, which Lula criticized as “unacceptable” last week.
Source: Aljazeera
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