Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Detained
Former President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil was arrested on Saturday, just hours before a vigil was set to take place outside his home.
The arrest followed the end of his house arrest, which had been in effect since August due to his violation of a social media ban.
His son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, had called for supporters to gather in a video shared on Friday, urging them to “fight with us.”
However, Brazil’s Supreme Court determined that the gathering could possibly disrupt public order and help Bolsonaro evade arrest.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes noted that Bolsonaro had tampered with his ankle monitor early Saturday morning.
“That information indicates a clear intention to break the ankle monitoring to facilitate his escape, especially amidst the potential chaos from a demonstration,” Moraes stated.
Brazil’s Federal Police conducted the arrest at the Supreme Court’s request, citing the need to maintain public order.
Bolsonaro was taken to a special cell at the Federal Police headquarters in Brasília.
In September, he was convicted of conspiring to instigate a military coup after losing the 2022 election, making him the first former Brazilian president to receive such a conviction. His sentence is 27 years in prison.
Moraes emphasized that the arrest should be executed “with full respect for the dignity of former president Jair Messias Bolsonaro, without the use of handcuffs or any media spectacle.”
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, a supporter of Bolsonaro, criticized the charges as politically driven, labeling it a “witch hunt.” In response, Trump enacted sanctions on Moraes and imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports, though he began to lift these measures this month after discussions with current Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
