Brazil’s top court declines to arrest Bolsonaro

BRASILIA(Brazil): The Brazilian Supreme Court has confirmed that it has no plans to arrest former President Jair Bolsonaro at this time, following concerns he may have violated a court-imposed social media ban, Al Jazeera reported.

On Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes described Bolsonaro’s recent actions as an “isolated” incident and opted not to issue an arrest warrant. Al Jazeera noted that de Moraes has been overseeing the investigation into whether Bolsonaro attempted a coup following his defeat in the 2022 presidential election to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The case has triggered widespread political debate both domestically and internationally, with Bolsonaro’s allies — including US President Donald Trump — calling the prosecution politically motivated. Bolsonaro has long denied any wrongdoing, stating during his testimony in June, “There was never any talk of a coup.”

However, prosecutors allege that Bolsonaro and his allies plotted to overturn the election results by undermining trust in the vote, declaring a state of emergency, and preparing to suspend the government’s functions in order to hold a new election. Al Jazeera reported that Bolsonaro never officially conceded defeat and left Brazil at the end of his term instead of attending Lula’s inauguration.

According to Al Jazeera, his supporters subsequently stormed police headquarters, blocked highways, and ransacked major government buildings — including the Supreme Court, Congress, and the presidential palace — in a failed attempt to incite military intervention.

Trump, in response to Bolsonaro’s legal troubles, threatened to impose 50 percent tariffs on Brazilian imports to the US beginning August 1. In a letter, Trump wrote, “This trial should not be taking place. It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!” He further labelled the proceedings “an international disgrace.”

Justice de Moraes, citing growing international pressure, imposed several restrictions on Bolsonaro last Friday, including house arrest on nights and weekends, confiscation of his passport, an ankle monitor, and a ban on social media use or communication with foreign governments. Bolsonaro later criticised the measures, saying of the ankle monitor, “This is a symbol of the utmost humiliation.”

De Moraes accused Bolsonaro of delivering a “speech to be shown on digital platforms,” raising concerns about a possible breach of the social media ban. He gave Bolsonaro’s legal team 24 hours to respond and warned that any violation could result in arrest.

Bolsonaro’s lawyers denied any breach and requested clarification on the ban’s scope, particularly whether media interviews were permitted. In a court filing on Friday, de Moraes clarified that Bolsonaro is not barred from giving interviews to news outlets and ultimately declined to order his detention, Al Jazeera reported.

He warned, however, that any future violations of the imposed restrictions would lead to Bolsonaro’s arrest. (ANI)