Bolsonaro Claims ‘Hallucinations’ Led to Ankle Monitor Violation During First Day in Jail

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro told a judge on Sunday that hallucinations and a nervous breakdown led him to tamper with his ankle monitoring device while under house arrest, during his first full day in jail.

Bolsonaro, 70, was taken into custody on Saturday after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes deemed him a flight risk. He had been sentenced to 27 years in prison in September for attempting a coup to retain power following his 2022 defeat by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

According to the Supreme Court document, Bolsonaro claimed he experienced hallucinations and paranoia that a wiretap had been installed in the ankle monitor, prompting him to remove it late at night. “He did not remember having a breakdown of this magnitude on another occasion,” noted assistant judge Luciana Sorrentino. Bolsonaro also mentioned a recent change in his medication and lack of sleep as potential causes for his actions.

The incident reportedly occurred around midnight, and his family members—his daughter, elder brother, and aide—were present but did not witness the tampering. The ankle monitor violation was detected at 12:08 a.m., prompting the arrest order hours later.

Bolsonaro’s Sunday meeting with the judge was procedural, providing an opportunity for his legal team to request continued house arrest due to health concerns—a plea previously denied by Justice de Moraes. During this period, the former president was allowed visits from former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro.

President Lula, speaking at the G20 summit in South Africa, commented briefly: “The court ruled, that’s decided. Everyone knows what he did.” Meanwhile, outside federal police headquarters in Brasília, pro- and anti-Bolsonaro protesters clashed, reflecting the nation’s political polarization.

On Monday, the Supreme Court panel is expected to vote on the preemptive arrest order, a decision that could further shape Brazil’s judicial and political landscape.