Brazil ex-President Jair Bolsonaro is under intense scrutiny following searches conducted by the federal police at his home and his party’s headquarters in Brasília. Once the Brazil president, Jair Bolsonaro now finds himself under tight restrictions: the Supreme Court has ordered him to wear an ankle monitor, barred him from going near embassies or consulates, and imposed a series of precautionary measures amid concerns he may flee the country.
The former Brazilian president is currently on trial at the Supreme Court accused of leading an alleged attempt to stage a coup to overturn the 2022 election in which he was defeated by left-wing president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
‘No social media, no diplomacy’
Not just the ankle monitor as a layer of precaution, the Brazil Supreme Court has also ordered the former president to cease all communications with his son Eduardo and Ambassadors, as well as stop using social media.
Bolsonaro’s lawyers in a statement expressed “surprise and indignation” at what they called “severe precautionary measures imposed against him,” adding that the former president has so far complied with court orders, reported Reuters.
Bolsonaro has described the trial on X as a “witch hunt,” echoing a term used by POTUS Donald Trump when he came to his South American ally’s defense last week.
Bolsonaro and Donald Trump
The Brazil Supreme Court also revealed that Brazilian police have accused Bolsonaro of working with his son, Eduardo, a Brazilian lawmaker who has been lobbying in Washington, DC, to influence the administration of US President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Brazil, as per multiple reports.
What if Bolsonaro does not follow the orders?
The Brazilian Supreme Court has further directed that Bolsonaro could be arrested if he does not comply with the precautionary measures.
What Bolsonaro said
Reacting to the slew of measures, Jair Bolsonaro said on Friday he never considered fleeing the country and that the Supreme Court’s order, directing him to war an ankle bracelet, amounted to his “supreme humiliation,” reported Reuters.
“The court order aims to humiliate me,” news agencies also quoted Bolsonaro as saying.