Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro put under house arrest for 'treating court like a fool', defying social media ban
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro put under house arrest for 'treating court like a fool', defying social media ban")
FIle Photo: Former Brazilian President (2019-2022) Jair Bolsonaro gestures during a press conference about his defense in the Supreme Court case on acts against Brazilian democracy on January 8, 2023, on arrival at Brasilia airport on March 6, 2025. Photograph: (AFP)
Just last month, Bolsonaro had been fitted with an ankle monitor and was barred from online activity. The ban also extended to third parties sharing his public remarks. However, on Sunday, his allies livestreamed a call between Bolsonaro and his son during a rally in Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro was put under house arrest by a Supreme Court judge on Monday (Aug. 4) for defying court restrictions on his social media use. Justice Alexandre de Moraes accused Bolsonaro, 70, of repeatedly violating a ban on public statements and social media use — a condition imposed last month as the far-right leader stands trial for plotting a coup to stay in power after losing to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The far-right leader is on trial over his alleged efforts to overturn the 2022 election and defy court-ordered restrictions.
Bolsonaro's social media ban and how he violated it
Just last month, Bolsonaro had been fitted with an ankle monitor and was barred from online activity. The ban also extended to third parties sharing his public remarks. However, on Sunday (Aug 3), his allies livestreamed a call between Bolsonaro and his son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, during a rally in Rio de Janeiro.
Slamming the move as a direct challenge to the judiciary, Moraes, in his order, said that he would not allow the defendant to "treat it (the court) like a fool" because of his "political and economic power." Citing Bolsonaro's "repeated failure" to comply with restrictions, the judge ordered that Bolsonaro will now remain confined to his residence in Brasilia. During the house arrest, the former president has been prohibited from receiving visitors apart from his lawyers. His use of phones has also been barred.
Though absent from the rallies, Bolsonaro's phone call — broadcast publicly — violated his court-imposed curfew and restrictions. The former army captain served as president from 2019 to 2022 and now faces the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence if convicted. The high-stakes trial is expected to conclude in the coming weeks.
How will this affect US-Brazil relations?
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The move, as reported by AFP, is expected to deepen tensions between Brazil's judiciary and the far-right, and may fuel backlash from Washington, where US President Donald Trump has staunchly backed Bolsonaro.
Last week, Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on Brazilian imports and sanctioned Moraes, calling his investigation a "witch hunt." At weekend pro-Bolsonaro rallies, some supporters were subsequently seen carrying US flags and signs reading "Thank you, Trump."
Justice Moraes, a top target of the global far-right, has clashed repeatedly with Bolsonaro and others over election lies and disinformation. He has also sparred with Trump's former DOGE chief, tech mogul Elon Musk, accusing X (formerly Twitter) of failing to curb disinformation.
