Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, said Sunday that a state of “paranoia” caused him to tamper with his court-ordered ankle monitor. The 70-year-old was taken into prison on Saturday after being under house arrest while appealing a coup-plotting conviction. The Supreme Court ruled he was a high flight risk.
Bolsonaro was sentenced in September to 27 years in prison for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to block leftist rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office after the 2022 elections. The far-right leader has denied wrongdoing and still has an opportunity to challenge his conviction further.
During a Sunday hearing in Brasília, Bolsonaro told the Supreme Court that “a certain paranoia” caused by medication led him to attempt to tamper with the bracelet. He insisted he had no intention of fleeing and that the strap was not broken. According to court documents, he spent Friday afternoon trying to open the device before “coming to his senses” around midnight.
Video footage released by the court shows Bolsonaro using a soldering iron on the ankle monitor, damaging it, though it remained attached to his ankle. The Supreme Court upheld the preventive arrest order despite his claims.
Bolsonaro’s lawyers requested the court reconsider, citing his “state of mental confusion” and side effects from medication prescribed for recurring hiccups. They argued that his mental and physical health warranted a return to house arrest.
The Supreme Court noted the proximity of the U.S. embassy to Bolsonaro’s residence. Bolsonaro is a known ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has criticized the trial and imposed—and later partially reversed—punitive measures against Brazil over the case.
President Lula dismissed concerns that Bolsonaro’s arrest could affect Brazil-U.S. relations, emphasizing Brazil’s judicial independence.
Bolsonaro, who has faced multiple health issues since a stabbing attack during his 2018 campaign, received his first visitors in prison on Sunday: two lawyers, his doctor, and his wife Michelle. His detention continues to stir political uncertainty as Brazil’s conservative electorate looks toward the 2026 presidential elections
