In an online session held on Monday, Brazil’s Supreme Court unanimously upheld the decision to keep former President Jair Bolsonaro in custody. This ruling came after Bolsonaro admitted to attempting to break his ankle monitor while under house arrest over the weekend. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who issued the arrest warrant, deemed the action as an escape attempt to avoid a 27-year prison sentence for his involvement in a coup attempt. Following his arrest, Bolsonaro, 70, was placed in a cell at the federal police headquarters in Brasilia.

The preventive arrest order issued by the court reflects concerns about Bolsonaro being a flight risk, especially as he is facing a lengthy prison term for his role in attempting a coup to stay in power following his defeat in the 2022 election. The decision made by Justice De Moraes was supported by Flávio Dino, Cristiano Zanin, and Carmen Lúcia. Bolsonaro claimed that a change in his medication led to a nervous breakdown and hallucinations, prompting him to tamper with his ankle monitor. His medical team and legal representatives reiterated this explanation during media appearances.

However, Justice De Moraes highlighted in his ruling that Bolsonaro’s admission of tampering with the ankle monitor constituted a serious violation, showing a blatant disregard for the court’s orders. The court was notified of the tampering incident at 12:08 a.m. on Saturday, leading to the subsequent arrest of the former president. Bolsonaro had been under house arrest since August, and the latest incident heightened tensions between his supporters and opponents, sparking demonstrations in various Brazilian cities.