Brazil's ex-President Bolsonaro must be placed under house arrest

"There is no doubt that the condition imposed on Jair Messias Bolsonaro has been disregarded," said Judge Alexandre de Moraes. The lawyer, who is hated by the political right in Brazil, had banned the former head of state from using social media directly or indirectly for his political purposes.

Moraes accuses Bolsonaro of having deliberately influenced the political debate in the country via social networks despite court bans. With the help of allies - including his three sons represented in parliament - he had content disseminated that "incited attacks on the court and called for foreign intervention".

Bolsonaro must spend his house arrest at his residence, may only be visited by lawyers and close relatives and must continue to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. He must also surrender all cell phones in his household.

The right-wing ex-president must stand trial for his role in an attempted coup d'état following his election defeat in 2022. On January 8, 2023, shortly after the current head of state Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office, Bolsonaro's supporters stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace in the capital Brasília. Bolsonaro insists that he is not guilty of anything in this context.

Since mid-July, he has been subject to strict conditions, including a night-time curfew, a ban on contact with diplomats and an electronic ankle bracelet. Recently, videos were also circulated showing Bolsonaro with his ankle bracelet at a public event in the Brazilian Congress.

Demonstrations in Brazil - Bolsonaro greets via telephone

When Bolsonaro's supporters demonstrated in several cities across the country on Sunday and demanded an amnesty for him, his son Flávio Bolsonaro addressed the crowd in Rio de Janeiro and virtually put his father through to the demonstrators via loudspeaker. "Good afternoon, Copacabana. Good afternoon, my Brazil. A hug for everyone. It's about our freedom. We stand together," Bolsonaro said in the short speech. A video of his supporters greeting him was published on the internet and later deleted.

The judiciary considers the latest violations to be "active political influence" by Bolsonaro via third parties, which amounts to "circumventing the direct censorship of his own channels".

Bolsonaro's trouble with the judiciary also has an impact on political relations with the USA. US President Donald Trump is considered a supporter of Bolsonaro, who also earned the nickname "Tropical Trump" during his previous term of office - and recently announced punitive tariffs of 40 percent on a large number of products from the South American country in response to the criminal prosecution of the Brazilian.