It raises the prospect of an escalation from the US president, who has called the coup case a “witch hunt” and steadily ramped up pressure on both the Supreme Court and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in an effort to help his ally.
Moraes’ move came one day after Bolsonaro supporters staged rallies across Brazil against the judge who is overseeing the legal cases against the right-wing former leader.He had previously ordered Bolsonaro to wear an ankle monitor and imposed an evening and weekend curfew, citing obstruction of justice and flight risk ahead of the coup trial.
Moraes said that Bolsonaro had violated restrictions during the Sunday demonstrations, acting “illicitly” by addressing demonstrators in Rio de Janeiro and using the marches to produce content that allowed his allies to continue “attempting to coerce the Supreme Court and obstruct justice.”
Bolsonaro did not attend the demonstrations in person, but he spoke to the crowd after his son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, put his father on speaker phone.
Flavio Bolsonaro also shared a video of the remarks on social media before later deleting it — an action Moraes said demonstrated “clear intent to conceal the violation” of orders that Bolsonaro avoid using his social media accounts or those of allies to share content.
Under the new order, Bolsonaro is prohibited from using a cell phone or receiving visitors unless they are approved by the Supreme Court. Visitors who are permitted to meet Bolsonaro won’t be allowed to take photos or record videos with the former leader. If Bolsonaro violates those stipulations, he could face preventive detention, Moraes warned.
Brazil’s Federal Police said in a statement that they carried out a search and seizure operation of mobile phones that were in the former president’s possession.
Bolsonaro’s legal team didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The former leader has denied all wrongdoing in the coup attempt case and other legal probes into him.
Speaking after Moraes’ order was published, Flavio Bolsonaro said on CNN Brasil that he didn’t see a problem in broadcasting his father’s message to supporters and characterized the judge’s move as a response to US sanctions.
Moraes had previously warned Bolsonaro against violating orders after the former president made an appearance at Brazil’s Congress late last month, when he accused the court of “cowardice” for forcing him to wear the ankle monitor. Allies shared the remarks widely on social media.
“The law is the same for everyone,” Moraes wrote in the Monday decision. “A prisoner who doesn’t obey the precautionary measures — for the second time — should should suffer the legal consequences.”
US Pressure
With Bolsonaro’s trial expected to take place as soon as September, the US has intensified its efforts to weigh in on his behalf — with Moraes and the Supreme Court as its chief targets.In July, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the US had revoked visas for Moraes and his “allies on the court,” along with their close relatives, accusing the justices of political persecution. Last week, the US sanctioned Moraes under its Global Magnitsky Designation, a move Bolsonaro allies celebrated at the Sunday rallies.
“There’s a risk of other measures being applied to top court judges,” said Antonio Madeira, an economist at MCM 4Intelligence, who added that the developments are likely to have negative effects on markets. “It increases the political risk from Trump’s reaction.”
Bolsonaro is facing allegations that he attempted a coup following his 2022 defeat to Lula, charges that stem from probes into the Jan. 8, 2023 insurrection attempt in which thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed major government buildings in Brasilia.
Brazil’s top prosecutor alleged that Bolsonaro acted as a leader of a “criminal organization” that was “based on an authoritarian power project,” and asserted that he had knowledge of a plan to assassinate Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Moraes.
The insurrection attempt drew comparisons to the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots in Washington. Bolsonaro, who is banned from the 2026 election for spreading conspiracy theories about Brazil’s electoral system during the last race, spent months lobbying the US for help, betting that Trump’s return to power despite similar legal woes would help him make a comeback of his own next year.
His son, lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, took leave from Brazil’s Congress in March to move to the US, and has taken credit for the imposition of sanctions and other penalties on Moraes.
