Brazil's Bolsonaro Ordered to Wear Ankle Monitor Amid Trial

Sao Paulo, Jul 18 (AP) – Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro has been ordered to wear an ankle monitor, according to his press office. This development follows federal police searching his home and his party's headquarters in Brasília, as gathered from sources familiar with the court order. Local media also reported that Bolsonaro is barred from using social media or contacting other individuals under investigation by the Supreme Federal Court, including his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who is a Brazilian lawmaker currently residing in the United States and is known for his close association with US President Donald Trump.

A police statement mentioned that officers in Brasília executed "two search and seizure warrants, in addition to precautionary measures other than arrest," following a Supreme Court decision. However, the statement did not directly name Bolsonaro. Currently, Bolsonaro is standing trial at the Supreme Court, accused of orchestrating an alleged coup attempt to overturn the 2022 election results, in which he was defeated by the left-wing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Live aerial footage from local broadcasters depicted federal police vehicles outside Bolsonaro's residence in Brasília. Sóstenes Cavalcante, the 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 described the operation as “another chapter in the persecution of conservatives and right-wing figures” in Brazil. Bolsonaro's lawyer did not immediately comment on the situation.

On Tuesday, Brazil's Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet presented a report to the Supreme Court, stating that 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 has characterized the trial on X as a “witch hunt,” echoing a term used by Trump when he defended his South American ally last week.

Last week, Trump imposed a 50% import tax on Brazil, linking the tariffs directly to Bolsonaro's trial. Trump had hosted the former Brazilian president at his Mar-a-Lago resort when both were in power in 2020, and he compared Bolsonaro's situation to his own. On Tuesday, during a session with reporters at the White House, Trump reiterated his claim that the trial is a “witch hunt.” (AP) SCY SCY

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