On his initial day in jail, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro informed a judge that he had damaged his ankle monitor the day before while at home due to a mental breakdown and hallucinations triggered by a change in his medication. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the 70-year-old ex-leader’s preventive detention, deeming him a flight risk. Bolsonaro had received a 27-year prison sentence in September for attempting a coup to stay in power after losing the 2022 election.
During an online meeting with the former president, assistant judge Luciana Sorrentino reported that Bolsonaro mentioned he believed there was a bug in the ankle monitor, leading him to tamper with it. Bolsonaro expressed that he had never experienced such a severe breakdown before and attributed it to recent changes in his medication. He denied any intention of fleeing and admitted to feeling paranoid and sleep-deprived, which drove his curiosity to inspect the ankle monitor.
According to a Supreme Court document, Bolsonaro stated that he was with family members and an aide at home, none of whom witnessed his actions on the ankle monitor. The violation of the monitor at 12:08 a.m. on Saturday led to the subsequent arrest order issued by de Moraes.
In September, a Supreme Court panel concluded that Bolsonaro had conspired to stage a coup to retain power after losing to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022. The panel is set to vote on the preemptive arrest order on Monday.
Bolsonaro’s discussion with the assistant judge primarily focused on the legality of his detention, with his legal team advocating for house arrest due to his health condition. De Moraes permitted a visit from former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, who was away from Brasilia during her husband’s arrest.
Lula, commenting on Bolsonaro’s imprisonment at the G20 summit in South Africa, affirmed the court’s decision and highlighted the public awareness of Bolsonaro’s actions. Supporters of Bolsonaro protested outside the federal police headquarters, demanding the removal of Lula and de Moraes from their positions, while critics of the former president celebrated his incarceration.
