Rio de Janeiro, 5 August 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Monday ordered the house arrest of former president Jair Bolsonaro over breaches of restrictions imposed by the court.

De Moraes said in a statement that Bolsonaro, who had been banned from being active on social media, "ignored and disrespected" the court's measures by participating via video call in a demonstration in Rio de Janeiro.

The judge said the 70-year-old former president exerted influence via social networks despite court bans by using allies to disseminate content that "incited attacks on the court and called for foreign intervention."

As Bolsonaro's supporters demonstrated in several cities across the country on Sunday and demanded an amnesty for him, he addressed the crowd in Rio de Janeiro through the phone of his eldest son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.

"Good afternoon, Copacabana," the former president said while on speakerphone. "Good afternoon, my Brazil. A hug for everyone. It's about our freedom. We stand together," he said in the short speech. A video showing his supporters reacting to the message was published online and later deleted.

The right-wing populist was placed under night-time house arrest in July and has been wearing an electronic ankle tag as his high-profile trial entered its final stages.

According to Monday's ruling, Bolsonaro will not be allowed to leave his Brasília residence or receive visitors, aside from his lawyers. He has also been banned from using a mobile phone, including via proxy.

Bolsonaro's defence team said it was surprised by the order and that it would appeal. Their client had strictly adhered to the court's requirements, the lawyers said, arguing that he had not been prohibited from giving interviews or speaking publicly.

The short address could therefore neither be considered a breach of conditions nor criminal behaviour, they said.

Meanwhile, his eldest son told broadcaster CNN Brasil that the judge's ruling is proof that Brazil is now "officially a dictatorship."

"One person alone decrees the imprisonment of a former president of the republic, an honest, righteous man," Flávio Bolsonaro said, accusing de Moraes of persecuting his father.

Bolsonaro has been charged with trying to "destroy the democratic legal order" by plotting to overthrow the government of his leftist successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, following his election defeat in 2022. He denies all accusations.

On January 8, 2023, Bolsonaro's supporters stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace in Brasília shortly after Lula took office.

US President Donald Trump has been vocal in his criticism of de Moraes' handling of legal cases involving Bolsonaro, calling for an immediate end to the ongoing trial.

The US on Wednesday sanctioned de Moraes, accusing the judge of leading an "unlawful witch hunt" against US and Brazilian citizens and companies, including the former president.

Also on Wednesday, Trump issued an executive order imposing a 40% tariff increase on a wide range of Brazilian imports, with Brazilian diplomats saying the move is political pressure designed to support Bolsonaro.

On Monday, the US State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs accused de Moraes of "continu[ing] to use Brazil's institutions to silence opposition and threaten democracy."

"Putting even more restrictions on Jair Bolsonaro's ability to defend himself in public is not a public service. Let Bolsonaro speak," the bureau said in a post on X, adding: "The United States condemns Moraes' order imposing house arrest on Bolsonaro and will hold accountable all those aiding and abetting sanctioned conduct."

Photo: epa