Brazil’s former President Bolsonaro has to wear electronic ankle monitor now - Why and what does it do?

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro will now have to wear an electronic ankle monitor after the Supreme Court’s order, his press office confirmed on Friday (July 18). This comes after police raided his residence and party headquarters in Brasilia, according to Associated Press.

The former PM has been accused of leading an attempt to stage a coup to overturn the 2022 elections in which he lost to left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

He just does not have to wear an ankle monitor, but is also barred from using social media or contacting other people who are under investigation by the Supreme Federal Court, including his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro. Notably, his son, who currently lives in the US, is a Brazilian lawmaker.

Moreover, Eduardo is popular for his close relations with US President Donald Trump.

According to a police statement, the officers in Brasilia carried out “two search and seizure warrants, in addition to precautionary measures other than arrest, in compliance with a decision by the Supreme Court." However, the statement did not mention the name Bolsonaro.

How does an electronic ankle monitor work?

An ankle monitor ordered by the Brazilian Supreme Court to be worn by the former president is used to monitor the person wearing it. The person wearing it can be tracked by this electronic equipment.

The equipment tracks the wearer’s movements and can have a GPS that relays this information through radio transmission. It will help the authorities to locate the wearer anytime.

Usually, individuals who are under trial and at the risk of fleeing, or people who have been released on bail, are asked to wear these monitors.

However, in a post on social media platform X, former president Bolsonaro described the trial as a “witch hunt”.

Earlier on Tuesday, Brazil’s Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet said in a report to the Supreme Court that the “evidence is clear: the defendant acted systematically, throughout his mandate and after his defeat at the polls, to incite insurrection and the destabilisation of the democratic rule of law".