The U.S. State Department has condemned the Brazilian Supreme Court’s decision to place former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest, vowing to “hold accountable all those aiding and abetting sanctioned conduct.”
The criticism came hours after Brazil’s top court ordered Bolsonaro into house detention over allegations that he conspired to overturn the country’s 2022 election results, a claim he has repeatedly denied.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the investigation, said the decision was prompted by Bolsonaro’s failure to comply with court-imposed restrictions issued last month.
The court fears he may interfere with ongoing inquiries into the alleged coup plot.
Bolsonaro’s legal team responded swiftly, rejecting claims of any violations of the restraining order and announcing plans to appeal the ruling, according to Reuters.
The former president has faced mounting legal challenges since leaving office, with prosecutors accusing him and his inner circle of undermining democratic institutions and plotting to illegally retain power after losing the 2022 election to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
