According to the trial, Jair Bolsonaro said he experienced “a certain paranoia” because of the medication and his broken ankle bracelet. (archive image)
Source: epa
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to years in prison for plotting a coup, said his ankle bracelet broke due to mental confusion.
Bolsonaro told the Supreme Court on Sunday that he “felt a certain paranoia” about taking medication between Friday and Saturday, according to court documents seen by AFP.
Bolsonaro: “There is no intention to escape”
He experienced “hallucinations” and believed there was a listening device in the electronic ankle bracelet. According to court documents, the 70-year-old man stated that “he had no intention of fleeing.”
In a video published on Saturday, Bolsonaro said he attached a soldering iron to his ankle bracelet out of “curiosity.” In the video, the device can be seen badly damaged and showing burn marks, but it is still attached to the former president’s ankle.
Bolsonaro was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison in September for an attempted coup against his successor Lula.
September 12, 2025 | 1:53 min
Arrested for breaking ankle bracelet
Bolsonaro was detained as a flight risk after his electronic ankle bracelet broke. By order of the Supreme Court, he was transferred from house arrest to prison. Preventive detention was ordered by Chief Judge Alexandre de Moraes.
The reasons he cited included damage to surveillance and vigilance devices in front of Bolsonaro’s house, which were requested by his son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.
The judge ruled that possible chaos could make it more difficult to control house arrest and make it easier to escape. Bolsonaro reportedly said the cordon was 700 meters away, so there was no chance of escape.
Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro was hospitalized again in September due to difficulty breathing and low blood pressure.
September 17, 2025 | 0:22 min
27 years in prison after attempted coup
A court sentenced the ultra-right former head of state to more than 27 years in prison in September for the coup plot. A few days ago, the Supreme Court rejected Bolsonaro’s appeal of the ruling.
Bolsonaro, who ruled Brazil from 2019 to 2022, was found guilty of leading a “criminal organization” that sought to overturn his 2022 election defeat to leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The Supreme Court concluded that he had incited his followers to storm the Supreme Court, Presidential Palace and Congress in the capital Brasília on January 8, 2023.
Source: AFP, dpa
