Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody by federal police. His lawyer confirmed the development to media on Saturday (22 November). After spending several months under house arrest while appealing a Supreme Court ruling, Bolsonaro has now been arrested on charges related to an alleged attack on the country’s democratic institutions, according to a report by Reuters.
However, his lawyer did not specify the exact reason for the arrest. A source familiar with the matter said the move is primarily linked to a preventive measure associated with the conditions of his house arrest.
The right-wing former leader was sentenced in September this year to 27 years and three months in prison. He was accused of orchestrating a plot to remain in power after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
In 2023, Bolsonaro was identified as both the mastermind and the chief beneficiary of a failed attempt to prevent Lula from assuming office.
For more than 100 days, Bolsonaro had been under strict house arrest. Authorities imposed the measure after he was accused in a separate case of seeking U.S. intervention, allegedly violating precautionary restrictions.
Bolsonaro’s close ally, U.S. President Donald Trump, denounced the case as a “witch hunt.” Trump had imposed sanctions on Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees the investigation, and placed a 50% tariff on some Brazilian imports entering the United States. However, Washington began reducing those tariffs earlier this month.
During his house arrest, Bolsonaro was prohibited from using social media, though political allies regularly visited him. His lawyers now hope to petition the court to allow him to return home, citing health concerns.
