MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolsonaro placed under permanent house arrest

Bolsonaro may not receive any visitors other than his lawyers

Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Alexandre De Moraes on Monday ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro to be placed under permanent house arrest for failing to comply with the restriction not to use social media during last weekend's rallies by his supporters, whom he sent a message through his son's account.

De Moraes also ordered a search and seizure at the former president's home in Brasília. In addition, the judge established new measures against Bolsonaro. As a result, the former president is prohibited from receiving visitors, except for lawyers, as well as from using cell phones, including those belonging to third parties.

On Sunday, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) posted a video on his social media accounts with the former president's statement.

Last month, De Moraes ordered several precautionary measures against Bolsonaro, including the use of an electronic tracking anklet and restrictions on the use of social media, including third-party profiles.

In his decision, the judge pointed out that Flávio Bolsonaro and two other sons of the former president, Carlos and Eduardo, posted on their social media accounts Bolsonaro's thanks to supporters who attended Sunday's rallies. Thus, according to De Moraes, there was a violation of the restrictions previously imposed.

”There is no doubt that there was a violation of the precautionary measure imposed on Jair Bolsonaro, as the defendant produced material for publication on the social media accounts of his three sons and all his followers and political supporters, with clear content encouraging and inciting attacks on the Federal Supreme Court (STF) and ostensibly supporting foreign intervention in the Brazilian Judiciary,” he said.

The precautionary measures were adopted in the probe into Federal Deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro's (PL-SP), son of the former president, before the government of US President Donald Trump to promote retaliatory measures against the Brazilian government and Supreme Court judges. In March of this year, Eduardo took a leave of absence from his parliamentary mandate and moved to the United States, alleging political persecution.

In this case, the former president is being investigated for sending funds to pay for his son's stay abroad. Bolsonaro is also a defendant in the criminal case involving the coup plot in the Supreme Court. The trial is scheduled to take place in September. (Source: Agencia Brasil)