Bolsonaro's Jailing Upheld: Brazil Supreme Court Votes to Keep Former President Behind Bars
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Brazil's Supreme Court has solidified the imprisonment of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was detained over the weekend for tampering with his ankle monitor. The court's decision was made in response to allegations that Bolsonaro had attempted to flee using a soldering iron to disable the tracking device. Bolsonaro, who has been under house arrest while appealing a 27-year sentence for plotting a failed coup, was taken into custody on Saturday. The conviction stems from a scheme to prevent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office in 2022, which included a plot to assassinate the leftist leader. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled that Bolsonaro had willfully disabled the electronic monitoring equipment, citing 'very serious indications of a possible attempt to flee.' This decision was supported by the other justices in the court's first chamber. The court pointed to a planned vigil organized by Bolsonaro's son outside his home, which was located near the US embassy, as evidence that Bolsonaro may have attempted to seek political asylum. Bolsonaro's lawyers claimed that he was experiencing 'mental confusion' due to medication, but the court rejected this argument. The former president has until midnight on Monday to file another appeal, which would be his second challenge to the court's decision. If the ruling stands, Bolsonaro will remain behind bars while his sentence is upheld.
