Brazil’s Supreme Court on Saturday, November 22, ordered the preemptive arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro, after Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled that the 70-year-old politician was preparing to escape the country just days before he was due to begin his 27-year prison sentence for leading an attempted coup.

 

 

 

 

Bolsonaro was taken from his home, where he had been under house arrest, to the headquarters of the Federal Police in Brasilia early Saturday morning.

 

 

 

 

Justice de Moraes said in his ruling that Bolsonaro’s ankle monitor, which he had been wearing since July 18 due to being deemed a flight risk, was violated at 12:08 a.m. on Saturday.

 

 

 

“That information shows the intent of the convict to break the ankle monitoring to assure his escape is successful, which would be made easier by the confusion that would be caused by a demonstration organized by his son,” de Moraes wrote.

 

 

 

 

He added that Bolsonaro might flee to a nearby embassy to request asylum, noting that other coup defendants and allies had already left Brazil to evade imprisonment.

 

 

 

 

The Supreme Court will vote on the arrest order during an extraordinary session on Monday.

 

 

 

De Moraes stressed that Bolsonaro’s arrest “should be made with all respect to the dignity of former President Jair Messias Bolsonaro, without the use of handcuffs and without any media exposition.”

 

 

 

Bolsonaro’s aide, Andriely Cirino, confirmed the arrest took place around 6 a.m., only hours after the judge issued the decision.

 

 

 

She said the former president was taken from his residence in the upscale Jardim Botânico neighbourhood to the Federal Police headquarters.

 

 

 

Justice de Moraes also referenced a video posted by Bolsonaro’s son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, encouraging supporters to take to the streets.

 

 

 

 

“The video shot by Flávio Bolsonaro stimulates the disrespect to the constitutional text, to the judicial decision and to democratic institutions, showing there’s no limits for the criminal organization in its attempt to create chaos and conflict in this country, in a total disrespect to democracy,” the judge said.

 

 

 

He added: “Brazil’s democracy has reached sufficient maturity to steer away and prosecute pathetic illegal initiatives to defend the criminal organization that is responsible for a coup d’etat attempt in Brazil.”

 

 

 

Supporters who insist Bolsonaro is being politically persecuted are expected to rally outside the Federal Police headquarters.

 

 

 

Sóstenes Cavalcante, leader of Bolsonaro’s party in the lower house, released a video saying the former president is innocent and accused de Moraes of “psychopathy at the highest level.”

 

 

 

“We will always stand by your side. Stay strong. We will respond appropriately,” he said.

 

 

 

Former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro wrote: “We will not give up on our nation. I believe in God’s justice. Human justice, as we have seen, can’t hold anymore.”

 

 

 

Fabio Wajngarten, Bolsonaro’s former press adviser and attorney, called the arrest “a terrible stain on the institutions,” claiming the ankle monitor was working hours after the alleged violation. “How could something that was broken, violated, be functioning normally nine hours later?” he asked.

 

 

 

He added that Bolsonaro had simply had dinner, “a soup”, with relatives before going to bed around 10 p.m., insisting no sons were present.

 

 

 

Bolsonaro’s brother Renato Bolsonaro also criticized the arrest in an Instagram video: “So we can’t even gather to cry out for justice or pray for our president? Do they want to take away our right to express ourselves?”