Brazil’s SC declines to arrest Bolsonaro over social media ban

Brazil's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that former president Jair Bolsonaro would not be taken into detention -- for now -- during his trial for allegedly plotting a coup. But the court warned the 70-year-old would be imprisoned immediately if he violated restrictions, including a ban on using social media that was imposed last week. Justice Alexandre de Moraes described the incident as “isolated” and opted against an arrest warrant.
De Moraes has overseen a case into whether Bolsonaro, a popular far-right figure, attempted a coup against the government of current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, following his defeat in the 2022 presidential election. The case has been a flashpoint in national and international politics, with Bolsonaro’s supporters — among them, United States President Donald Trump — calling the prosecution politically motivated. Bolsonaro has long denied orchestrating a scheme to retain power after his four-year term came to a close in 2023.
Bolsonaro never publicly acknowledged his loss in 2022, and he left the country at the end of his term rather than hand over power to Lula. His supporters, meanwhile, stormed police headquarters in the capital, blocked highways, and eventually ransacked government buildings representing the presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court, in an apparent attempt to spark a military uprising.