Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was apprehended by federal police on Saturday just before an anticipated gathering of his supporters near his residence, culminating his period of confinement at home while he appealed a conviction by the Supreme Court for orchestrating a coup.
Bolsonaro’s lawyer, Celso Vilardi, confirmed the arrest without specifying the cause. A federal police spokesperson mentioned that Bolsonaro underwent admission procedures in Brasilia on Saturday morning.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the arrest in a court ruling, highlighting concerns that the presence of encamped supporters could impede the police’s surveillance of Bolsonaro’s house arrest. Moraes also pointed out evidence of tampering with the former president’s ankle monitor the previous night.
Moraes stated in his ruling on Saturday, “The disorder caused by an unlawful assembly of the convict’s supporters significantly increases the risk to the house arrest and other precautionary measures, potentially facilitating his escape.”
The judge referenced indications that Bolsonaro had contemplated seeking asylum at the Argentine Embassy in Brasilia. Moraes also noted in his decision that one of Bolsonaro’s sons and other close associates had left Brazil to evade the jurisdiction of the country’s courts.
Another attorney for Bolsonaro declined to comment immediately on the court’s decision.
Following his defeat in the 2022 election to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the right-wing former leader was sentenced in September to 27 years and three months in prison for plotting a coup.
Bolsonaro was identified as the ringleader and primary beneficiary of a scheme to prevent Lula from assuming office in 2023. However, no final arrest warrant has been issued in that case as Bolsonaro has not exhausted all avenues for appeal.
For over 100 days, Bolsonaro has been on strict house arrest for breaching precautionary measures in a separate case involving alleged solicitation of U.S. intervention to halt his criminal proceedings.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who maintained a close relationship with Bolsonaro during their respective presidencies, denounced the case as a “witch hunt.” He imposed sanctions on Moraes, the overseeing justice, and initiated a 50% tariff on certain Brazilian imports, a measure that he has started to reverse recently.
Throughout his house arrest, Bolsonaro was prohibited from using social media but received visits from political allies.
Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, his son, urged supporters via social media to assemble outside his father’s residence in Brasilia on Saturday evening.
“I urge you to join us in the fight,” the senator expressed in a video posted online. “With your support, the people’s support, we will resist and restore Brazil.”
Should his appeals prove unsuccessful, Bolsonaro’s defense team is likely to request permission for him to serve his nearly 30-year sentence under house arrest, citing various health concerns.
The former president, who survived a stabbing in the abdomen during a campaign event in 2018, has a medical history of hospitalizations and surgeries stemming from the attack.
Previously, Bolsonaro had been barred from running for public office until 2030 after the Brazilian electoral court found him guilty of misconduct during his reelection campaign in 2022.