Brasília (EFE).- Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered the house arrest of former president Jair Bolsonaro on Monday for failing to comply with some of the precautionary restrictions imposed on him as part of his trial for attempting to stage a coup.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the magistrate responsible for the case before the Federal Supreme Court, determined the house arrest regime for Bolsonaro, which also prohibits him from receiving visitors except for close relatives and lawyers.
De Moraes also ordered the Federal Police to search the former president’s residence and seize any mobile phones or devices that could be used to access social media.
On Monday afternoon, the Federal Police confirmed in a statement that they had complied with the court’s order for house arrest and the seizure of mobile phones.
In his decision, the magistrate argued that Bolsonaro had violated the precautionary measures imposed on him in July, which prohibited him from sending messages through his social media accounts or those of third parties. They also required him to wear an electronic ankle monitor and remain at his residence at night and on weekends.
De Moraes cited messages from Bolsonaro that were broadcast on Sunday on the social media accounts of his allies, including his three sons’ parliamentary accounts, which contained “incitement to attack the Supreme Court and support for foreign intervention in the Brazilian judiciary.”
These messages were read out at rallies held on Sunday by thousands of Bolsonaro supporters in several cities across the country.
The supporters defended the granting of amnesty to all those accused of attempting a coup, and expressed their support for the sanctions imposed by former United States President Donald Trump on those responsible for the trial of Bolsonaro.
The Trump administration revoked the visas of eight of the 11 members of the Brazilian Supreme Court and ordered the freezing of Alexandre de Moraes’ assets, in addition to imposing a 50% tariff on certain Brazilian imports, which would be eliminated if proceedings against Bolsonaro ceased.
“There is no doubt that the precautionary measure imposed on Jair Messias Bolsonaro was not complied with,” the magistrate said, adding that “more drastic measures must be adopted to prevent the accused’s continuous criminal recidivism.”
House arrest was ordered as part of the proceedings against Bolsonaro, who is accused of leading a plot to prevent the inauguration of the progressive candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his rival back in the 2022 presidential elections.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Bolsonaro discussed measures to annul the elections and even to assassinate Lula with his ministers and high-ranking military officers. He also encouraged the assault on the Presidency, Congress, and the Supreme Court promoted by thousands of his supporters on Jan. 8, 2023. EFE
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