Brazil's Bolsonaro arrested, adding to tensions with Trump
By Ricardo Brito
August 5, 20253:20 AM CDTUpdated 2 mins ago
BRASILIA, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Brazil's Supreme Court put former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest on Monday ahead of his trial for an alleged coup plot, underscoring the court's resolve despite escalating tariffs and sanctions from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the target of U.S. Treasury sanctions last week, issued the arrest order against Bolsonaro. His decision cited a failure to comply with restraining orders he had imposed on Bolsonaro for allegedly courting Trump's interference in the case.
Bolsonaro is on trial before the Supreme Court on charges he conspired with allies to violently overturn his 2022 electoral loss to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Trump has referred to the case as a "witch hunt" and called it grounds for a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods taking effect on Wednesday.
The U.S. State Department condemned the house arrest order, saying Moraes was using Brazilian institutions to silence opposition and threaten democracy, the U.S. would "hold accountable all those aiding and abetting sanctioned conduct.
More:
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-bolsonaro-arrested-adding-tensions-with-trump-2025-08-04/
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5 August 2025, 09:10 | Updated: 5 August 2025, 09:14
By Rebecca Henrys
Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered house arrest for former President Jair Bolsonaro after the 70-year-old violated precautionary measures imposed on him.
Bolsonaro is standing facing trial over allegations he plotted a coup to overthrow Brazil's current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, which he has denied.
His supporters stormed government buildings on January 8, 2023 - a week after Lula da Silva's inauguration.
The house arrest ruling was handed down by Alexandre de Moraes, the judge investigating Bolsonaro, after the former president used the social media accounts of his allies to spread messages that encouraged attacks on the Supreme Court and foreign intervention in the law.
He spoke to tens of thousands of protestors in Rio at a pro-Bolsonaro rally on Sunday via a phone call, which his son Flavio put on speaker.
Flavio is also reported to have deleted an Instagram video of his father on the other end of the call.
The Supreme Court's ruling on the house arrest said: "The flagrant disregard for the preventative measures was so obvious that - it bears repeating - the defendant's own son, senator Flávio Nantes Bolsonaro, decided to delete the post from his Instagram account in order to conceal the legal transgression.
More:
https://www.lbc.co.uk/world-news/brazil-jair-bolsonaro-brazil/
