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On Monday, Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro to be placed under house arrest amid ongoing legal proceedings over his alleged attempt to overturn the 2022 presidential election results.
The case has gripped the nation since its inception in 2023 and has intensified international scrutiny, especially as it unfolds under the authority of a Supreme Court justice recently sanctioned by the Trump administration in the United States.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the case, accused Bolsonaro, 70, of violating court-imposed restrictions.
According to the ruling, first reported by the Associated Press, Bolsonaro used a Sunday protest in Rio de Janeiro to publicly address supporters using a cellphone owned by one of his three sons, all of whom are lawmakers.
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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro gestures during the inauguration ceremony of new ministers at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, on March 31, 2022. – Bolsonaro on Thursday fired key ministers who will contest the October elections, including his possible running mate for defence, in a ceremony in which he praised the last military dictatorship. (Evaristo Sa/AFP via Getty Images)
Bolsonaro’s brief message, “Good afternoon, Copacabana, good afternoon my Brazil, a hug to everyone, this is for our freedom,” was deemed a violation of his release conditions.
Bolsonaro’s legal team announced plans to appeal, arguing that the statement was symbolic, not criminal, and did not justify additional restrictions.
Mounting International Fallout
The political stakes have now extended well beyond Brazil. The case triggered backlash from President Trump, a longtime Bolsonaro ally, who tied newly imposed U.S. tariffs on Brazilian imports to what he called an ongoing “witch hunt.” His remarks have further strained the already delicate diplomatic relationship between the two nations.
In a pointed statement on X, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs condemned the Brazilian court’s actions, writing: “Putting even more restrictions on Jair Bolsonaro’s ability to defend himself in public is not a public service. Let Bolsonaro speak!”
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Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. President Donald Trump. (Getty Images)
The bureau also warned that individuals involved in what it described as “sanctioned behavior” would be held accountable.
The statement marked a sharp escalation, particularly as it followed closely on the heels of sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department, under Trump’s administration, against Justice de Moraes. He was designated a “U.S.-sanctioned human rights abuser” and accused of weaponizing the judiciary to silence political opponents.
The Basis for Sanctions
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent accused de Moraes of leading an unlawful crackdown:
“Alexandre de Moraes has taken it upon himself to be judge and jury in an unlawful witch hunt against U.S. and Brazilian citizens and companies. He is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions, and politicized prosecutions—including those against former President Jair Bolsonaro,” Bessent said.
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Former President Jair Bolsonaro addresses supporters during a rally in Sao Paulo., Brazil, Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024. Bolsonaro and some of his former top aides are under investigation into allegations they attempted plotted a coup to remove his successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
These sanctions were imposed under Executive Order 13818, issued during Trump’s first term in 2017. The order declared a national emergency concerning global human rights abuses and corruption and expanded upon the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act passed in 2016. The law empowers the U.S. government to impose financial and travel sanctions on foreign officials accused of human rights violations.
Despite growing international pressure, the Brazilian government has yet to issue a formal response.
Details of the Case
Brazilian prosecutors allege that Bolsonaro led a coordinated effort to delegitimize, and ultimately overturn, the results of the 2022 election, including planning violent acts and even an alleged assassination plot targeting President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Justice de Moraes. Bolsonaro lost the election by a narrow margin.
A panel of Supreme Court justices accepted the charges in March, ultimately ordering Bolsonaro to stand trial. Monday’s house arrest ruling builds on earlier restrictions: an ankle monitor, a nighttime curfew, and a travel ban keeping the former president confined to Brasília despite his deep political roots in Rio de Janeiro.
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A former army captain and deeply polarizing figure, Bolsonaro now joins a short but consequential list of former Brazilian presidents arrested since the country’s return to democracy in 1985, a system he has frequently criticized and linked to the military dictatorship he once praised.
Justice de Moraes, defending the court’s decision, wrote: “The judiciary will not allow itself to be mocked. Justice applies equally to everyone. A defendant who knowingly violates precautionary measures—especially for the second time—must face legal consequences.”
Fox News’ Alec Schemmel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com