Brazil's political landscape was shaken on Saturday as former President Jair Bolsonaro was transferred from house arrest to prison following allegations he was preparing to escape the country just days before beginning his 27-year sentence for leading an attempted coup.
Supreme Court Intervention
Justice Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil's Supreme Court issued the preemptive arrest order on Saturday, November 22, after determining that the 70-year-old politician was actively planning an escape. The ruling came after Bolsonaro's ankle monitor was reportedly violated at 12:08 a.m. on Saturday, raising immediate concerns about his intentions.
Bolsonaro was taken from his home in the upscale Jardim Botânico neighborhood, where he had been under house arrest, to the Federal Police headquarters in Brasilia early Saturday morning. His aide, Andriely Cirino, confirmed the arrest occurred around 6 a.m., mere hours after the judge issued the decision.
The Escape Plot Details
In his detailed ruling, Justice de Moraes expressed concern that Bolsonaro might flee to a nearby embassy to request political asylum. The judge noted that other defendants and allies involved in the coup attempt had already left Brazil to avoid imprisonment.
"That information shows the intent of the convict to break the ankle monitoring to assure his escape is successful, which would be made easier by the confusion that would be caused by a demonstration organized by his son," de Moraes wrote in his decision.
The judge specifically referenced a video posted by Bolsonaro's son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, that encouraged supporters to take to the streets. De Moraes described the video as stimulating "disrespect to the constitutional text, to the judicial decision and to democratic institutions."
Family and Political Backlash
Bolsonaro's family and political allies immediately condemned the arrest. Former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro wrote: "We will not give up on our nation. I believe in God's justice. Human justice, as we have seen, can't hold anymore."
Fabio Wajngarten, Bolsonaro's former press adviser and attorney, called the arrest "a terrible stain on the institutions" and questioned the timing of the alleged ankle monitor violation. "How could something that was broken, violated, be functioning normally nine hours later?" he asked reporters.
Wajngarten insisted that Bolsonaro had simply eaten dinner with relatives before going to bed around 10 p.m., maintaining that no sons were present during the evening.
Legal Proceedings and Security Measures
The Supreme Court will conduct a formal vote on the arrest order during an extraordinary session scheduled for Monday. Despite the serious nature of the allegations, Justice de Moraes emphasized that Bolsonaro's arrest "should be made with all respect to the dignity of former President Jair Messias Bolsonaro, without the use of handcuffs and without any media exposition."
Supporters who believe Bolsonaro is being politically persecuted are expected to rally outside the Federal Police headquarters. Sóstenes Cavalcante, leader of Bolsonaro's party in the lower house, released a video accusing de Moraes of "psychopathy at the highest level" and vowing continued support for the former president.
Bolsonaro's brother, Renato Bolsonaro, also criticized the arrest in an Instagram video, questioning whether basic rights of expression were being violated. "So we can't even gather to cry out for justice or pray for our president? Do they want to take away our right to express ourselves?" he asked.
Justice de Moraes concluded his ruling with a firm statement about Brazil's democratic resilience: "Brazil's democracy has reached sufficient maturity to steer away and prosecute pathetic illegal initiatives to defend the criminal organization that is responsible for a coup d'etat attempt in Brazil."
