Brazil's Supreme Court has delivered a unanimous verdict to keep former President Jair Bolsonaro in police custody after he allegedly tampered with his electronic monitoring device using a soldering iron. The decision marks a significant escalation in the legal troubles facing the former leader.
Unanimous Court Decision
On Monday, November 24, a four-judge panel of Brazil's Supreme Court voted unanimously to maintain Bolsonaro's arrest. Justices Alexandre de Moraes, Flávio Dino, Cristiano Zanin, and Carmen Lúcia all supported the decision to keep the former president in custody, effectively ending his more than 100 days of house arrest.
The arrest was initially ordered on Saturday, November 22, by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who cited Bolsonaro as a flight risk. The court's ruling comes just two days after the initial arrest warrant was issued.
Monitor Tampering Incident
According to authorities, Bolsonaro attempted to disable his court-mandated ankle monitor using a soldering iron. The breach was detected at precisely 12:08 a.m. on Saturday, prompting immediate action from law enforcement.
In his testimony on Sunday, Bolsonaro claimed that a change in medication caused him to experience a "nervous breakdown" accompanied by "paranoia and hallucination" when he attempted to break the device. He maintained that he had no intention of fleeing house arrest.
However, Justice Flávio Dino firmly rejected this explanation in his written vote, stating: "The admitted breach of electronic monitoring not only increases the risk of escape but also indicates a blatant violation of the precautionary measures imposed by the Judiciary."
Legal Background and Consequences
Bolsonaro, who is 70 years old, had been under house arrest since August following his conviction last September for plotting a coup after his 2022 election loss to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The former president was sentenced to 27 years in prison but had not yet begun serving his term while awaiting final appeals.
Justice Moraes emphasized in his arrest warrant that Bolsonaro had demonstrated "repeated non-compliance with precautionary measures" and showed "evident disrespect to the court." The timing of the monitor tampering was particularly concerning as it occurred just hours before supporters were expected to gather outside Bolsonaro's home, an event that Justice Moraes warned could disrupt police monitoring.
The former president has now been transferred from house arrest to a special cell at Federal Police headquarters in Brasília. His legal team and doctors continue to assert that medication changes led to hallucinations that caused his actions.
Bolsonaro's conviction stems from investigations into the January 8, 2023 insurrection, when thousands of his supporters stormed federal buildings in Brasília, demanding the military overturn Lula's election victory. The dramatic downfall represents a stark contrast to his rise to power seven years ago on anti-establishment rhetoric.
