Former President Jair Bolsonaro’s defense said he intends to present to Minister Alexandre de Moraes of the Supreme Court (STF), the argument that he did not breach precautionary measures by publicly manifest. The central lawyers’ allegation is that the former president made statements in an open place, without control over any transmissions made by third parties on social networks.
Bolsonaro’s advocates also argue that Moraes’s decision is difficult to understand, which would make it difficult to comply with the former president. The defense also points out that the exposure of the electronic anklet during a liberal party meeting was a deliberate action with the objective of sensitizing supporters after the new restrictions imposed by the Supreme Court.
Behind the scenes, the defense arguments are expected to be formally presented to the Supreme until 9 pm on Monday. Meanwhile, Bolsonaro has avoided public appearances. Although his presence was expected in commission committees, he remained at the PL headquarters in Brasilia, and returned to his residence before 7 pm to avoid further questions regarding the compliance with precautionary measures.
During the day, opposition leaders, linked to the PL, tried to hold meetings on House committees, with the aim of approving Bolsonaro support motions. However, the mayor, Arthur Lira, determined the closure of these activities under the justification of parliamentary recess, including ordering the air conditioners to disconnect to discourage the permanence in the spaces.
Experts heard by the press differ from the legality of the measure that prohibits demonstrations of the former president released by third parties. Criminal lawyer Rafael Paiva considered the decision problematic and without explicit legal basis, stating that the measure opens gaps for censorship and compromises the principle of due process. He also criticized the lack of clarity of the decision and highlighted the practical difficulty of overseeing this type of restriction, considering that even political opponents could theoretically publish lines in order to harm Bolsonaro.
