Brazil’s Former President Bolsonaro Detained in Precautionary Police Action Amid Ongoing Legal Turmoil

Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro was taken into precautionary custody by federal police on Saturday, his lawyer told Reuters, bringing an end to months of house arrest as he continues to appeal a Supreme Court ruling sentencing him for attacks on Brazil’s democratic institutions.

Bolsonaro’s lawyer, Celso Villardi, did not specify the exact reason for the detention. However, a person familiar with the matter said it was related to conditions tied to his earlier house arrest order.

A federal police spokesperson confirmed that Bolsonaro underwent an intake examination in Brasília on Saturday morning.

The former right-wing leader was sentenced in September to 27 years and three months in prison for allegedly conspiring to stage a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election to leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Investigators identified Bolsonaro as both the leader and primary beneficiary of a scheme aimed at preventing Lula from taking office in 2023.
However, the court has not issued a final arrest warrant, as Bolsonaro’s appeal process is still underway.

For more than 100 days, Bolsonaro had been under strict house arrest for violating precautionary measures in a separate case, in which he is accused of attempting to solicit U.S. intervention to block criminal charges against him.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump—an ally of Bolsonaro—has called the case a “witch hunt.” He imposed sanctions on Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees the investigation, and applied a 50% tariff on several Brazilian imports, a measure he began reversing earlier this month.

While under house arrest, Bolsonaro was banned from using social media, though political allies continued to visit him. His legal team is expected to argue that several health issues justify allowing him to serve his sentence under house arrest.

Bolsonaro has undergone multiple hospitalizations and surgeries since being stabbed during a 2018 campaign event.

He is already barred from running for office until 2030, following a ruling by Brazil’s electoral court that found he abused his presidential powers during his 2022 re-election campaign.

In a separate development from Belém, Brazilian entrepreneurs working inside a local warehouse are experimenting with rainforest ingredients to create new foods, fragrances, and other products.