Brazil: Jair Bolsonaro by Richter placed under house arrest

Brazilian ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, who was accused of coup attempt, was placed under house arrest. Judge Alexandre de Moraes justified the measure on Monday by the fact that the ultra -right politician had violated conditions. Among other things, Moraes had ordered that Bolsonaro could no longer use online platforms. “There is no doubt that the edition imposed on Jair Messiah Bolsonaro was disregarded,” said Moraes.

Bolsonaro now has to spend his house arrest at his place of residence, can only be visited by lawyers and nearby relatives and must continue to wear an electronic booth. He also has to hand over all the mobile phones in the household. In addition, the judge had imposed a nightly lock against the ex-president around two weeks ago.

The lawyer hated by the political right in Brazil had prohibited the former head of state the direct and indirect use of social media for his political purposes and forbidden to “contact foreign ambassadors and authorities”.

Moraes accuses Bolsonaro of having influenced the political debate in the country specifically through social networks despite judicial bans. With the help of allies – including his three sons represented in parliament – he had content spread content that “stabbed the court for attacks and demanded foreign interventions”.

When supporters of Bolsonaros demonstrated in several cities in the country on Sunday and asked for an amnesty for him, his son Flávio Bolsonaro in Rio de Janeiro spoke to the crowd and made his father through loudspeakers to the demonstrators. “Hello, Copacabana. Hello, my Brazil. A hug for everyone. It is about our freedom. We are together,” said Bolsonaro in the short speech. A video of the greeting of his trailers was published on the Internet and later deleted.

The judiciary evaluates the recent violations as “active political influence” Bolsonaros beyond third parties, which amounts to “bypass of the direct censorship of its own channels”.

According to the Brazilian media reports, the measures against Bolsonaro aim to prevent the 70-year-old from escaping. The ex-state leader assured that he had never intended to leave Brazil.

The right ex-president must be responsible for his role in an attempted coup d’état after his election defeat in 2022 before the judiciary. On January 8, 2023, followers Bolsonaros stormed the Congress, the Supreme Court and the Presidential Palace in the capital Brasilia shortly after today’s head of state Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro insists that he had nothing to be owed in this context.

Bolsonaro received support from his ally, US President Donald Trump. The US government imposed sanctions against judge Moraes and tariffs against Brazil in the amount of 50 percent. She justifies her approach with the accusation of “politically motivated persecution” Bolsonaros, Trump himself spoke of a “witch hunt”.