A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has ordered ten individuals to house arrest for their involvement in a plot aimed at retaining former president Jair Bolsonaro in power following his defeat in the 2022 election. The ruling, issued by Justice Alexandre de Moraes on December 29, 2023, comes in the wake of a series of arrests connected to the same case, underscoring ongoing efforts to address attempts to undermine Brazil’s democratic institutions.
The decision follows the arrest of a former senior police official in Paraguay, who attempted to board a flight to El Salvador using a forged Paraguayan passport. This incident highlights the lengths to which individuals associated with the coup attempt will go to evade judicial oversight. The ten individuals placed under house arrest had previously enjoyed freedom during their appeals despite their convictions. They had only been subject to precautionary measures, such as electronic monitoring and nightly check-ins.
Justice de Moraes emphasized that the group played an active role in planning the coup attempt, which included seeking legal justifications to overturn the election results and disseminating disinformation on social media. He stated that the measures were crucial to prevent any further obstruction of justice and to ensure compliance with court orders.
In August, former president Bolsonaro himself was placed under house arrest after the Supreme Court determined he had violated precautionary measures during his trial for allegedly masterminding a coup plot. The court found that he had continued to share political content through his three lawmaker sons despite being prohibited from doing so while under investigation. As a result of this breach, his earlier conditions were replaced with full house arrest.
The ongoing case has gained international attention, particularly after the US State Department imposed personal sanctions on Justice de Moraes and individuals closely associated with him following Bolsonaro’s sentencing. US President Donald Trump and his administration have publicly criticized the justice system, labeling the judicial proceedings related to the coup attempt as political persecution.
Among those affected by the recent ruling is Filipe Martins, a former adviser to Bolsonaro. His lawyer, Jeffrey Chiquini, expressed intentions to appeal the decision on social media, claiming that it represents a form of authoritarianism rather than a mere judicial error.
This case is part of a broader judicial initiative aimed at addressing the network of individuals accused of attempting to subvert Brazil’s electoral process. The orders for house arrest and arrests reflect the Supreme Court’s increasingly assertive role in investigating and prosecuting those involved in efforts to undermine the democratic framework established during the 2022 election.
