Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro has reached the end of his legal road. On Tuesday, the country’s Supreme Court delivered a final verdict that effectively ensures the 70-year-old leader will spend the rest of his life behind bars. His fate was sealed after he allegedly tried to escape house arrest by breaking his ankle monitor—an act that deeply angered the court and led to the rejection of all remaining appeals.
Conviction for 2022 Coup Plot Now Final
Bolsonaro had already been convicted in September for orchestrating a plot to overturn the 2022 election results, which had brought left-wing leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva back to power. The charges included a conspiracy that involved at least one planned killing.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court dismissed Bolsonaro’s attempt to overturn that conviction. With Tuesday’s ruling, the decision is now irrevocable—no further appeals will be entertained.
Once a former army captain who reshaped Brazilian politics and united conservative blocs to win the presidency in 2019, Bolsonaro now faces a 27-year prison sentence.
Caught Breaking His Ankle Monitor
Until Saturday, the former president was under house arrest in Brasília. Police detained him after discovering that he had been using a soldering iron in an attempt to break apart his ankle monitor—an act that would have allowed him to evade tracking and flee.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes stated that investigators found “serious and credible signs” of an escape attempt. The suspicion intensified because the incident occurred during an event hosted outside Bolsonaro’s residence by his son.
According to the judge, the former leader may have been attempting to reach the U.S. Embassy to seek political asylum.
Bolsonaro Claims ‘Medication Episode’
In a hearing on Sunday, Bolsonaro denied that he intended to flee. According to court documents accessed by AFP, he told the judge that medication had triggered a moment of “mental confusion,” which caused him to behave erratically.
He further insisted that the strap of the ankle monitor was never actually broken.
But the explanation failed to convince the court, which ruled that his actions were deliberate and violated the conditions of his house arrest.
A Dramatic Fall From Power
Once one of Brazil’s most polarizing and influential political figures, Bolsonaro now stands isolated—legally, politically, and physically. With no appeals left and a long sentence ahead, his downfall marks one of the most dramatic political collapses in modern Brazilian history.
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