Brazil ex-president Bolsonaro arrested by federal police, source says

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was taken into federal police custody on Saturday, his lawyer told Reuters, marking a dramatic escalation in the legal battles that have followed his ouster from office. The detention ends more than three months of house arrest, during which Bolsonaro had been appealing a Supreme Court conviction tied to what prosecutors described as an assault on Brazil’s democratic order.

Bolsonaro’s attorney offered no explanation for the sudden transfer into custody. However, a person familiar with the situation said the move was a preventative measure connected to the conditions of his existing house arrest.

The former right-wing president was handed a 27-year and three-month prison sentence in September, after the Supreme Court found him guilty of plotting to overturn the 2022 election results in a failed attempt to cling to power after losing to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Investigators concluded Bolsonaro acted as both the architect and chief beneficiary of a scheme aimed at blocking Lula’s inauguration in early 2023.


For more than 100 days, Bolsonaro had been confined to his home under stringent restrictions for violating precautionary measures in a separate case involving allegations that he sought U.S. interference to derail the criminal proceedings against him.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump—an ally of Bolsonaro during their overlapping terms—denounced the case as a "witch hunt". In a retaliatory move, Trump imposed sanctions on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the case, along with a 50% tariff on U.S. imports of several Brazilian goods, measures the former president only began easing this month.

While restricted to his residence, Bolsonaro was prohibited from using social media but continued receiving visits from political supporters. His legal team is now expected to petition authorities to allow him to remain under house arrest, citing multiple health concerns.