Bolsonaro Ordered to Wear ‌Ankle Monitor Amidst Coup​ Allegation Probe

Brasília, Brazil – Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro ‌has been ordered to wear an ankle monitor,‍ his press office confirmed on Friday. ‍the move comes as federal police conducted searches at his home and his party’s⁢ headquarters in Brasília, according‌ to individuals familiar with the ⁤court order.

Local media reports indicate‌ that⁢ Bolsonaro is also prohibited from using social media and from contacting other individuals currently under investigation by the supreme Federal Court. This includes his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, a Brazilian lawmaker⁢ residing in the United States, known for his close ties⁢ to former US President Donald Trump.

A statement from the federal⁤ police confirmed that officers in Brasília executed “two search and seizure warrants,⁣ in addition to precautionary measures⁣ other than arrest, in compliance with a⁢ decision by the Supreme Court.” The statement did not explicitly name Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro is currently facing trial ‍at the Supreme Court, accused of orchestrating an alleged coup attempt to overturn the results of⁣ the 2022 election, which saw ⁢him defeated by the current left-wing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Live aerial footage from local broadcasters showed‍ federal police vehicles outside Bolsonaro’s residence‍ in Brasília.

Sóstenes Cavalcante, a congressman and leader of Bolsonaro’s⁢ party in the lower house, informed the Associated Press​ that officers also searched Bolsonaro’s office at the party’s headquarters. Cavalcante characterized the operation as “another chapter in‍ the persecution of conservatives and right-wing‍ figures” in Brazil.

A lawyer representing Bolsonaro did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

earlier this week, Brazil’s prosecutor General Paulo Gonet submitted ⁢a ‌report to the Supreme court stating, ⁢”The ⁢evidence is clear: the⁢ defendant acted systematically, throughout his mandate and after his​ defeat at the polls, to incite insurrection and the destabilization of the democratic rule of‍ law.”

Bolsonaro himself has publicly​ denounced ⁤the trial on ​the social media platform X, describing it as a ​”witch hunt.” This phrasing mirrors language previously used by Donald Trump when he defended ‍his South American ally last week.

In⁣ a related development last week, ‍Trump imposed​ a 50% import tax on Brazil, ⁣directly linking the tariffs to Bolsonaro’s ongoing ⁣trial. The former US president had previously hosted Bolsonaro at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida when both were​ in power ‍in 2020. Trump has drawn parallels between ‍Bolsonaro’s legal challenges and his own, reiterating his‌ “witch hunt”⁤ claim to reporters at the White House on Tuesday.