"Witch hunt"

Judge in Brazil orders complete surveillance of Bolsonaro

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro already had to wear an electronic anklet and was under house arrest. (archive image)

Keystone

On Tuesday, Brazil's Supreme Court ordered complete police surveillance of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of an alleged coup attempt. This was triggered by a request that Bolsonaro was a "flight risk".

Keystone-SDA

27.08.2025, 02:08•27.08.2025, 06:43

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Brazilian ex-president Jair Bolsonaro is now under round-the-clock police surveillance by court order.
Reason: attempted escape.
The background to this is a trial before the Supreme Court for an alleged coup attempt in which he faces up to 40 years in prison.

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Judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered the authorities to keep the former Brazilian president under "round-the-clock surveillance" by stationing police officers outside his residence, according to a court document obtained by the AFP news agency. Bolsonaro previously had to wear an electronic ankle bracelet and was under house arrest.

The increase in surveillance was made at the request of Lindbergh Farias, a member of parliament from the party of left-wing Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Farias had pointed out that the ex-president was a "real flight risk". Following an examination of Farias' application, the public prosecutor's office demanded continuous surveillance on Monday.

Bolsonaro faces up to 40 years in prison

The far-right politician Bolsonaro, who was Brazil's head of state from 2019 to 2022, must answer to the Supreme Court for an alleged coup attempt. He faces up to 40 years in prison. The trial is due to enter its final phase at the beginning of September.

In justifying his decision, Judge Moraes, who is responsible for the coup trial, stated, among other things, that Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of the former president, is leading a campaign from the USA to persuade the US authorities to intercede on behalf of their father.

"The incessant activities of Eduardo Bolsonaro from abroad show that there is a risk that Jair Bolsonaro could flee in order to evade the law" - especially in view of the approaching trial, the judge explained.

Bolsonaro received support from his ally, US President Donald Trump. The US government imposed sanctions against Judge Moraes and tariffs against Brazil amounting to 50 percent. It justified its action with the accusation of "politically motivated persecution" of Bolsonaro, while Trump himself spoke of a "witch hunt".