Brazil’s top court places Bolsonaro under house arrest

Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro to be placed under house arrest, citing repeated violations of court-imposed restrictions.

The decision, issued on Monday by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, comes amid worsening diplomatic tensions with the Trump administration over Bolsonaro’s legal troubles and the recent imposition of steep tariffs on Brazilian imports.

According to CNN Brasil, Moraes said Bolsonaro has “repeatedly failed to comply with precautionary measures” imposed during ongoing investigations. Under the new order, Bolsonaro is barred from receiving visitors—except for his lawyers—and may only communicate with individuals authorized by the court.

Bolsonaro is also prohibited from using a cell phone, either directly or through intermediaries, after his son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, video-called him during a protest in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, CNN Brasil reported.

Moraes reaffirmed earlier restrictions that prevent Bolsonaro from contacting ambassadors or foreign officials and prohibit his use of social media.

“Failure to comply with the rules of house arrest or any of the precautionary measures will result in their revocation and the immediate decree of preventive detention,” the justice wrote in the ruling.

The court’s move follows escalating tensions between the Brazilian judiciary and the Trump administration, which announced a 50% tariff on Brazilian products beginning August 1, the highest rate currently applied to any country.

President Trump has publicly criticized Bolsonaro’s prosecution, calling it a “witch hunt” and “an international disgrace” in a letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In the message, posted to Truth Social in July, Trump also linked Bolsonaro’s legal troubles and Brazil’s alleged censorship efforts to his decision to impose tariffs.

U.S. sanctions have also been imposed on Justice Moraes. According to NBC News, officials cited alleged human rights violations as the basis for the sanctions, which were enacted under the Magnitsky Act—a law typically used to target officials in authoritarian regimes.