Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court has ordered Senator Flávio Bolsonaro to surrender his passports within 24 hours and prohibited him from leaving the country, as two investigations examine alleged financial irregularities involving people and businesses linked to him.
Federal Police agents notified the senator of the restrictions on Monday morning near the Brasília residence of his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest. The order was signed on Sunday night by Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, following the announcement of the presidential run-off result in which Flávio Bolsonaro lost to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The ruling also prohibits the senator from contacting lawyer Willer Tomaz, who is under investigation for alleged money laundering. Flávio Bolsonaro has denied intending to leave Brazil and described the restrictions as an attempt at political intimidation. He said he would surrender his passports while his lawyers appealed the decision.
“I never said that,” he wrote on his official channels, referring to leaving the country. “Is that a reason to take away my passport? Is this justice?” he added.
The senator alleged that the decision was connected to remarks made by his brother, former congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, who said in an interview the previous Friday that Flávio should leave Brazil and challenge the vote count if he lost the election.
The travel restrictions are linked to two cases pending before the Supreme Federal Court. The first, overseen by Moraes and originating in proceedings in Rio Grande do Sul, concerns alleged money laundering involving Tomaz, betting companies and payment platforms.
Last week, the court ordered the freezing of up to 6 billion reais in assets linked to Tomaz, suspended his business activities and lifted protections covering his bank, tax and foreign-exchange information. Federal Police investigators reportedly found that Flávio Bolsonaro appeared under a “master” user profile on an account belonging to Alcazar Holdings. They also detected transactions totalling almost 130 million reais between March and May 2025 in accounts linked to the lawyer.
Tomaz’s defence has rejected the accusations and challenged the proportionality of the asset freezes. The allegations remain under investigation.
The second case, assigned to Supreme Federal Court Justice André Mendonça, examines alleged irregularities in raising private funds for Dark Horse, a film about Jair Bolsonaro’s political career. Investigators are analysing audio recordings and digital messages that reportedly link Flávio Bolsonaro to dealings with Daniel Vorcaro, the former owner of Master Bank.
Police have requested a 90-day extension to complete financial examinations and process international cooperation requests. Flávio Bolsonaro has acknowledged seeking funding for the film in earlier reports and denies offering favours.
The senator is due to leave public office on 1 February 2027, having decided not to seek re-election to the Senate. This will mark his first departure from state service in more than 20 years, according to the source.
The Supreme Federal Court is expected to retain jurisdiction over the cases after he leaves office. Under a doctrine approved by seven votes to four in March 2025 and supplemented in May 2026, alleged crimes committed by officials while in office remain within the court’s jurisdiction even after they leave their posts.
From February 2027, Flávio Bolsonaro will no longer have parliamentary immunity or hold public office. His appeal against the travel restrictions and the outstanding financial examinations are the next steps in the proceedings.
