Former Brazilian President Taken Into Custody
Brazil's Supreme Court ordered the preemptive arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday, November 22, 2025, just days before he was scheduled to begin serving his 27-year prison sentence for leading a coup attempt. The 70-year-old politician was transported from his house arrest to the federal police headquarters in Brasilia following an unexpected ruling from Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
Ankle Monitor Violation Sparks Arrest
Justice de Moraes stated in his ruling that Bolsonaro's ankle monitoring device, which he had worn since July 18 after being deemed a flight risk, was violated at 12:08 a.m. on Saturday. The justice claimed this showed "the intent of the convict to break the ankle monitoring to assure his escape is successful." De Moraes suggested the escape could have been facilitated by confusion from a demonstration organized by Bolsonaro's son.
The Supreme Court justice expressed concern that Bolsonaro might flee to embassies in his upscale Jardim Botanico neighborhood to request political asylum. He also noted that other defendants in the coup case and political allies of the former president had already left Brazil to avoid imprisonment.
Family and Allies React Strongly
Bolsonaro's aide Andriely Cirino confirmed to The Associated Press that the arrest occurred around 6 a.m. on Saturday, mere hours after de Moraes issued the decision. The former president was taken from his gated community residence with instructions from de Moraes that the 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 legal team and family members immediately challenged the justification for the arrest. Fabio Wajngarten, Bolsonaro's former press adviser and lawyer, claimed the ankle monitoring device was functioning normally as of Saturday morning and questioned how a violated device could be working properly nine hours later.
Renato Bolsonaro, the former president's brother, criticized the arrest in an Instagram video, asking "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?"
Political Context and International Implications
The Supreme Court panel hearing Bolsonaro's case will vote on De Moraes' order in an extraordinary session scheduled for Monday. This preemptive arrest doesn't mean Bolsonaro will serve his sentence at the federal police headquarters, as Brazilian law requires all convicts to begin their sentences in prison.
Bolsonaro was convicted by a panel of Supreme Court justices for attempting to overthrow Brazil's democracy following his 2022 election loss to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Prosecutors established that the coup plot included plans to assassinate Lula and encourage an insurrection in early 2023.
The former president remains a significant figure in Brazilian politics despite being ineligible to run for office until at least 2030. Recent polls indicate he would be a strong candidate in next year's election if permitted to run. Bolsonaro maintains his alliance with former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has characterized his trial as a "witch hunt."
Supporters of the former president gathered outside the federal police headquarters throughout the weekend, vowing to defend him against what they describe as political persecution. Sóstenes Cavalcante, leader of Bolsonaro's party in the lower house, accused de Moraes of displaying "psychopathy at the highest level" and promised an appropriate response.
