The accusations against Bolsonaro

Bolsonaro gets foot shackles – concerns that he will seek asylum in the US

Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro is forced to wear an electronic foot shackle, is placed under nightly house arrest and is also restricted from posting on social media. This follows a ruling by Judge Alexandre de Moraes at the country's Supreme Court, Brazilian media reports.

The federal police believe that Bolsonaro has hindered the legal process against him regarding the coup attempt in Brazil in 2022. Both his son Eduardo Bolsonaro, who is in the US, and the Trump administration have campaigned for the charges to be dropped, for Jair Bolsonaro to be granted amnesty and for sanctions to be imposed on judges.

This has created concerns that Bolsonaro will flee the country and seek political asylum in the US, writes Folha. A judge who wishes to remain anonymous tells the Brazilian newspaper that this, together with Bolsonaro's increasingly "desperate" actions, weighed heavily in the ruling.

Bolsonaro will now be monitored around the clock.

Bolsonaro rages against the decision on the ankle cuff: “Humiliation”

Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro denies that he had any plans to flee to the United States to seek political asylum, he says, according to Reuters. He describes the Supreme Court’s decision to force him to wear an ankle cuff as a “humiliation”.

His lawyers confirm that in addition to the ankle cuff, Bolsonaro is banned from using social media and from communicating with his son.

“Bolsonaro’s legal representatives were surprised and outraged by the strict restrictions,” a statement says.

Bolsonaro is accused of attempting a coup after the 2022 election, which was won by the incumbent leftist president Lula da Silva.