Key facts
- Brazilian federal police searched the home and political headquarters of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
- The search was conducted for weapons and ammunition.
- Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued warrants and restraining orders.
- Bolsonaro is prohibited from contacting foreign officials, using social media, and must wear an ankle monitor.
- Bolsonaro is also restricted from leaving his home at night and approaching embassies.
Brazilian federal police searched the home and political headquarters of former President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday, seeking weapons and ammunition. The operation was authorized by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who also issued warrants and restraining orders against Bolsonaro.
Among the new restrictions, Bolsonaro is prohibited from contacting foreign officials, banned from using social media, and ordered to wear an ankle monitor. He is also forbidden from leaving home between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends, and must not approach embassies. Bolsonaro described the court's orders as a "supreme humiliation."
His son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, a congressman, criticized Justice Moraes, calling him a "political gangster in robes." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Washington was revoking a US visa for Moraes for his "political witch hunt" against Bolsonaro, and also announced visa restrictions on other judges.
Prosecutors have asked the trial judges to find Bolsonaro guilty of "armed criminal association" and planning to "violently overthrow the democratic order," carrying a risk of up to 40 years in prison. Bolsonaro denies involvement in an alleged coup plot.