Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro speaks to the press at Congress in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, March 26, 2025, after panel of Brazil Supreme Court justices accepted charges against him over an alleged attempt to stay in office after his 2022 election defeat. (AP Photo/Luis Nova)
Brazil’s Supreme Court has upheld the imprisonment of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was taken into custody over the weekend after allegedly tampering with his electronic ankle monitor using a soldering iron.
Bolsonaro, who has been under house arrest as he appeals a 27-year sentence for plotting a failed coup, was detained at his home on Saturday after a judge declared him a flight risk.
He was convicted in September for a scheme aimed at preventing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office following the 2022 elections, a plot that reportedly included plans to assassinate the leftist leader.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled Monday that Bolsonaro had “willfully and consciously violated the electronic monitoring equipment.” The three other justices in the court’s first chamber joined the decision, making Bolsonaro’s detention official at the conclusion of a virtual session at 8:00 p.m. local time (2300 GMT).
Justice Moraes highlighted “very serious indications of a possible attempt to flee” during a vigil organized outside Bolsonaro’s home by his son.
He also referenced the proximity of the US embassy and Bolsonaro’s close ties with former US President Donald Trump, suggesting the ex-president may have considered seeking political asylum.
In a Supreme Court hearing on Sunday, Bolsonaro told the court he “experienced a certain paranoia between Friday and Saturday due to medication” and insisted he had no intention of fleeing, claiming there was no breakage of the bracelet’s strap.
However, a video released by the court on Saturday contradicted that account. In it, Bolsonaro admitted to using a soldering iron on the monitoring bracelet out of “curiosity.” The footage showed the device badly damaged and burned, though still attached to his ankle.
Bolsonaro’s lawyers have requested the court to reconsider and allow him to return to “humanitarian house arrest,” citing his state of mental confusion from prescribed medications.
The Supreme Court has already denied one appeal of Bolsonaro’s sentence. His legal team has until midnight Monday to file another challenge.
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