Judge Alexandre de Moraes based his decision to impose an electronic ankle bracelet on Jair Bolsonaro on posts by the former president, his son Eduardo Bolsonaro, and US President Donald Trump. These posts were included in the requests from the Federal Police and the Attorney General’s Office that supported the operation on Friday (July 18).
Eduardo Bolsonaro stated on social media that he had negotiated with the US government possible sanctions against Brazil and Judge Moraes. The Attorney General’s Office characterized these statements as “clearly intimidating language” against government officials and members of the judiciary.
The decision cites “evidence of a concrete possibility of the accused fleeing,” but presents no evidence beyond public posts and interviews. The Federal Police representative body highlighted that Eduardo began publishing content in English “with the intention of reaching a foreign audience.”
Describing the 50% tariff imposed by Trump on Brazilian products as an attempt to “blackmail” the Brazilian justice system, the minister stated that the actions of Bolsonaro and his son constitute “hostile acts against Brazil” and an attempt to subjugate the US Supreme Court. In addition to the electronic ankle bracelet, Bolsonaro faces a nighttime and weekend curfew, as well as a ban on contact with other suspects and embassy representatives. The former president described these measures as a “great humiliation.” “The coup investigation is political. There is nothing concrete about it,” he declared in front of the Federal Police headquarters in Brasília. He highlighted his status as a former head of state and his age (70) as factors that rule out any risk of flight.