Brazil court freezes Bolsonaro son's assets as ex-president threatened with arrest over social media use
Eduardo, a Brazilian congressman who has been in Washington to drum up support for his father, said on X on Monday the decision was 'another arbitrary' decision by Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
CNN Brasil reported that Moraes's confidential decision was issued on Saturday as part of an investigation into Eduardo Bolsonaro's conduct in the US.
Donald Trump has tied the imposition of steep tariffs on Brazilian goods to what the US president calls a 'witch-hunt' against the former Brazilian president.
A decision showed on Monday evening that Moraes – who oversees the case in which Bolsonaro is accused of plotting a coup – also threatened to order Bolsonaro's arrest unless his lawyers explained within 24 hours why he breached restrictions on his use of social media.
Bolsonaro's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours.
Moraes on Friday ordered Bolsonaro to wear an ankle bracelet and banned him from using social media, among other measures – which were later upheld by a court panel – over allegations he courted Trump's interference.
Bolsonaro described Moraes' decision to prohibit his social media use as 'cowardice', telling Reuters he intended to continue engaging with the press to ensure his voice was heard.
On Monday, Moraes said Bolsonaro breached the supreme court order when speaking with journalists earlier in the day, after a meeting with allies in the Brazilian Congress.
The moment – which marked the first time Bolsonaro publicly showed his ankle bracelet – came hours after Moraes issued a clarification of Friday's ruling, which stated that Bolsonaro's use of social media included use through third parties.
Moraes, in his decision, attached screenshots of several posts on social media – including on news outlets – that showed Bolsonaro 'displaying the electronic monitoring device, delivering a speech to be displayed on digital platforms'.
The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, last week called Moraes' court orders a 'political witch-hunt', responding on Friday with immediate visa revocations for 'Moraes and his allies on the court, as well as their immediate family members.'
The court's crackdown on Bolsonaro adds to evidence that Trump's tactics are backfiring in Brazil, compounding trouble for his ideological ally and rallying public support behind the defiant leftist government.
Hours before summoning Bolsonaro's lawyers, Moraes had issued a ruling that raised questions about whether the rightwing leader was allowed to talk to journalists.
'Obviously, the broadcasting, re-broadcasting or dissemination of audio, video or transcripts of interviews on any third-party social media platform is prohibited,' the judge said in the clarification of Friday's ruling.
The measure sparked debate in Brazil regarding the ruling's range.
Bolsonaro on Monday cancelled an interview with a news outlet that would have been broadcast live on social media.
The supreme court declined to comment or elaborate on the specifics of that decision.
A spokesperson for Bolsonaro also declined to comment, but the former president has always denied any wrongdoing.
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