A majority of judges on a Brazil Supreme Court panel voted Monday to uphold the preventive arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro, keeping him behind bars while he awaits the start of a 27-year sentence for his role in plotting a coup attempt. Three panel members confirmed Justice Alexandre de Moraes’ order, which was issued after Bolsonaro was detained early Saturday amid concerns he might flee to a foreign embassy following tampering with his court-mandated ankle monitor. The full vote on the matter is still ongoing.
Bolsonaro, convicted in September for attempting to overturn the results of the 2022 election, had been under house arrest since August. He was transferred to a special cell at the Federal Police headquarters in Brasilia while authorities finalize arrangements for him to begin his sentence. Video footage released on Saturday showed Bolsonaro admitting that he had tampered with the ankle monitor using a soldering iron “out of curiosity.” Court filings indicate he told judges that the incident occurred during a period of “paranoia” induced by medications and that he believed there might have been a listening device in the device. His defense team filed an immediate appeal against the preventive arrest order.
Last week, Bolsonaro’s lawyers requested that he be allowed to serve his sentence under house arrest, citing his advanced age and frail health, including a recent skin cancer diagnosis. Justice Moraes denied the request on Saturday, though the defense may continue to appeal. Observers say the court will weigh Bolsonaro’s age and health alongside his conduct with the ankle monitor in deciding whether house arrest is appropriate.
The arrest marks a dramatic fall for Bolsonaro, who rose from Brazil’s congress to the presidency seven years ago on a wave of anti-establishment support. His detention complicates the search for a political successor to challenge President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the 2026 election, coming at a moment when Lula enjoys strong political momentum, including relief from U.S. tariffs imposed during the Trump administration in a move that had sought to aid Bolsonaro.
The case against Bolsonaro stems from investigations into the January 8, 2023, insurrection attempt in Brasilia, when thousands of his supporters stormed federal buildings and called on the military to oust Lula just one week after he took office. The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold his arrest underscores the judiciary’s resolve in addressing the events of that day.
