A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has ordered house arrest for ten individuals convicted of conspiring to maintain former president Jair Bolsonaro in power following his defeat in the 2022 election. This ruling, delivered by Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Saturday, underscores the ongoing judicial efforts to address attempts to undermine Brazil’s democratic institutions.
The ruling came shortly after Paraguayan authorities apprehended a former senior police official linked to the same case. This individual was attempting to board a flight to El Salvador using a forged Paraguayan passport, illustrating the lengths to which some connected to the coup attempt are going to evade justice.
Previously, the ten individuals had remained free during their appeal process, facing only precautionary measures such as electronic monitoring. Justice de Moraes determined that these individuals actively participated in devising the coup, which involved seeking legal justifications to overturn the election results and spreading disinformation on social media to support Bolsonaro’s continued presidency.
In a related development, in August, former president Bolsonaro himself was placed under house arrest after the Supreme Court found he had violated precautionary measures imposed during his trial for allegedly masterminding the coup plot. Justice de Moraes concluded that Bolsonaro breached these restrictions by continuing to communicate political messages through his three sons, all of whom are lawmakers. As a result, the court replaced Bolsonaro’s previous conditions with full house arrest while the broader case is still pending.
The U.S. State Department has also become involved, imposing personal sanctions on Justice de Moraes and individuals closely associated with him following Bolsonaro’s conviction. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has been critical of the justice system in Brazil, labeling the judicial proceedings linked to the coup attempt as political persecution.
Among those affected by the recent ruling is Filipe Martins, a former adviser to Bolsonaro. His lawyer, Jeffrey Chiquini, took to social media platform X to announce plans to appeal the decision, stating, “This is not a mere mistake: the proper term is authoritarianism!”
The case represents a significant chapter in Brazil’s ongoing struggle to protect its democratic framework after the controversial 2022 election. The Supreme Court’s assertive actions highlight its commitment to investigating networks believed to have played a part in efforts to overturn the electoral outcome.
This legal battle reflects a broader context within Brazil as it seeks to reaffirm its democratic integrity and address the ramifications of political extremism.
