Brazil's Supreme Court Takes Cautious Stance with Bolsonaro

Brazil's Supreme Court opted not to detain former President Jair Bolsonaro, despite his breach of court-mandated restrictions. However, the court did caution that repeated infractions could lead to imprisonment.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, overseeing the case alleging Bolsonaro's coup plotting, maintained the restraining directives, clarifying he can still grant interviews. Last week, Moraes mandated an ankle bracelet for Bolsonaro and barred his social media usage, citing his alleged engagement with former U.S. President Donald Trump over Brazil-related tariffs, which Trump called a response to a 'witch hunt' against Bolsonaro.

The justice threatened Bolsonaro with arrest after he breached social media restrictions by speaking to journalists in Brasilia. Moraes noted that Bolsonaro's son, Eduardo, who was soliciting U.S. support, posted on social media to his father's advantage. Nonetheless, due to the infraction's 'isolated' nature, no arrest ensued. Bolsonaro, maintaining his innocence, slammed the social media ban as 'cowardice' and vowed continued media engagement.

(With inputs from agencies.)