Brazil Bolsonaro rejects violations of social media ban
Brazil's ex-president Jair Bolsonaro has rejected accusations that he violated a court-ordered ban on the use of social media. "The complainant (Bolsonaro) never expected that he would be prohibited from giving interviews that could be shared on social networks," his lawyers stated in a letter to the Supreme Court, according to media reports. They went on to say that Bolsonaro had neither posted content on social media himself nor commissioned third parties to do so.
23.07.2025, 07:28
SDA
The statement was prompted by an order from Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who had set Bolsonaro a deadline of 24 hours to explain possible violations of the conditions following a visit to Congress on Monday. Bolsonaro was wearing an electronic anklet and had spoken to MPs during the appointment. Videos of this meeting were subsequently shared on various social media platforms.
Judge tightens conditions
Moraes had tightened the existing conditions shortly beforehand and clarified that the social media ban applies not only to Bolsonaro's own posts, but also to the dissemination of his interviews by third parties. The lawyers pointed out that Bolsonaro had not been informed of Moraes' new decision at the time of his visit. He also had no control over the distribution of the videos.
The public prosecutor's office could now examine whether the conditions have been breached. The judge must then decide whether to impose sanctions such as possible pre-trial detention. This detention would have no fixed duration, but would have to be reassessed every 90 days.
Bolsonaro allegedly planned a coup
The right-wing former president is on trial for allegedly planning a coup against the government of his successor Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva following his election defeat in 2022. Since Friday, he has been subject to strict conditions, including night-time house arrest, wearing an electronic ankle bracelet, bans on contact with co-defendants and a comprehensive ban on the use of social media.
