Post by : Badri Ariffin

Jair Bolsonaro, the former President of Brazil, was detained on Saturday for allegedly tampering with his electronic ankle monitor, which he claims was a result of paranoia induced by medication.

The 70-year-old right-wing figure has been under house arrest in Brasilia for over 100 days following a 27-year prison sentence for attempting to overturn the 2022 election results. Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered his arrest due to concerns of flight risk.

During a 30-minute hearing on Sunday, Bolsonaro insisted he had no desire to escape. He attributed the incident to his prescribed anticonvulsant medication, which led him to believe that his ankle monitor was listening in on him. Sources indicate he tried to modify the device with a soldering iron but paused and informed the authorities instead.

At the time of the incident, Bolsonaro was alone, while his family members and adviser were asleep. Court documents revealed that he “came to his senses” and stopped tampering without further issues. Nonetheless, the judge decided to retain him in custody, confirming that police followed the law.

Currently, Bolsonaro is held in a small cell at federal police headquarters in Brasilia, which is furnished with a bed, television, air conditioning, and a private bathroom. His lawyers have requested a “humanitarian house arrest” due to his age and health history, including hospitalizations after a stabbing during the 2018 campaign.

Outside the police headquarters, Bolsonaro's supporters protested vehemently, arguing that his arrest represents a political vendetta. “He hasn’t committed any crime. This is plainly political persecution,” stated Alessandro Almeida, a demonstrator.

At the G20 summit, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva supported the Supreme Court’s decision, underscoring that the presumption of innocence has been upheld and that Bolsonaro would fulfill the sentence handed down by the judiciary.

#world news #Global News