The Supreme Court of Brazil has ruled to place former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest, tightening control over him. Bolsonaro is accused of organizing a conspiracy to seize power after losing the 2022 elections. This is reported by UNN with reference to Correio Braziliense, NYT, and La Nación.
Details
Brazilian authorities have placed former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest. He faces trial on charges of preparing a coup d'état. It is alleged that Bolsonaro led a conspiracy to prevent the inauguration of the progressive Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who defeated him in the 2022 presidential elections.
According to the indictment, in addition to discussing with his ministers and senior military officers measures to annul the elections and even assassinate Lula, Bolsonaro encouraged the storming of the presidential, Congress, and Supreme Court headquarters by thousands of Bolshevist supporters on January 8, 2023.
According to media reports, Judge Moraes stated a number of violations by the ex-head of state, and that they were "intentional." Therefore, according to the judge's decision, more serious restrictions must be imposed on Mr. Bolsonaro.
Disobedience to precautionary measures demonstrates disrespect for judicial decisions and jeopardizes the effectiveness of the investigation and the credibility of the judiciary itself
The judge also ordered the Brazilian police to seize Bolsonaro's mobile phone and restrict visits to his home, with the exception of his close relatives and lawyers.
Mr. Bolsonaro's defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment, the NYT reported.
US President Donald Trump called the case against Bolsonaro, an ally with a strikingly similar political style, a "witch hunt".
Recall
UNN previously reported that former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was officially charged with money laundering for allegedly misappropriating jewels worth about $900,000, gifted by Saudi Arabia during his tenure.