Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro has been ordered by the country’s Supreme Court to wear an ankle monitor, a move he called “a supreme humiliation.” The decision follows federal police raids at his residence and at the headquarters of his political party in Brasília, all under the court’s directive.
As part of the restrictions, Bolsonaro is banned from leaving his home at night, communicating with foreign diplomats or embassies, and from using social media. He’s also prohibited from contacting others involved in the investigation, including his son Eduardo Bolsonaro, a Brazilian lawmaker currently residing in the United States and known for his close alliance with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Bolsonaro is currently facing trial at Brazil’s Supreme Court over accusations that he led a plot to overturn the 2022 presidential election, which he lost to leftist leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Speaking to reporters after complying with the monitor order, Bolsonaro said: “I never considered fleeing Brazil or entering an embassy, yet I face restrictions based on that assumption. It’s a supreme humiliation.”
Meanwhile, Donald Trump voiced his support for Bolsonaro, criticizing Brazil’s judiciary and calling the trial “terrible and unjust.” Trump said he “strongly voiced” his disapproval by imposing a 50% import tax on Brazilian goods, directly linking the tariff to Bolsonaro’s legal troubles. He also urged the trial to end immediately and likened Bolsonaro’s situation to his own ongoing legal battles.
The Supreme Court’s actions are also tied to a separate investigation into Eduardo Bolsonaro, who is accused of collaborating with U.S. officials to seek sanctions against Brazilian authorities.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, leading the case, said recent actions by Bolsonaro and his son amounted to “clear confessions of criminal conduct,” citing obstruction of justice, coercion, and threats to national sovereignty.
In response, Eduardo Bolsonaro criticized the justice on social media, calling the restrictions “doubling down on repression.” His brother, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, added, “Banning a father from speaking to his son is the ultimate symbol of the hatred driving Moraes.”
Live footage broadcast by local media showed federal police outside Bolsonaro’s home during the operation. The leader of Bolsonaro’s party in the lower house, Sóstenes Cavalcante, confirmed that Bolsonaro’s party office was also searched. He called the move “another act in the ongoing persecution of conservative voices in Brazil.”
Bolsonaro’s legal team has not issued a public statement.
Brazil’s Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet recently submitted a report to the court stating that there is “clear evidence” that Bolsonaro repeatedly attempted to incite insurrection and undermine Brazil’s democratic rule both during his presidency and after his election defeat.
Bolsonaro has described the trial as a “witch hunt,” echoing the language used by Trump to describe his own legal challenges. Despite Trump’s vocal support, sources within Brazil’s Supreme Court emphasized that U.S. trade measures will not influence the court’s decision, and Bolsonaro’s trial is expected to resume between August and September.
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