Brazil's Supreme Court has issued house arrest orders for 10 people who were convicted for participating in a plot to keep former President Jair Bolsonaro in power after his election defeat in 2022, following the dramatic arrest of a key fugitive in Paraguay.
The decision by Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes came after authorities in Paraguay arrested Silvinei Vasques, the former head of Brazil's federal highway police under Bolsonaro, who had broken his court-ordered electronic ankle monitor and was attempting to flee to El Salvador using a fake Paraguayan passport.
Vasques was sentenced earlier this year by the Supreme Court to 24 years and six months in prison for his involvement in the January 8, 2023, coup attempt. He was captured Friday at an airport in Paraguay while trying to board a flight.
De Moraes said the 10 officials under house arrest helped plan the coup plot, sought legal justification for it, or spread disinformation on social media to help Bolsonaro stay in power. Among them was Filipe Martins, a former adviser to Bolsonaro. They are also banned from receiving visits, using social media, or contacting others under investigation.
Bolsonaro himself was found guilty in September of conspiring to stay in power and was handed a 27-year prison sentence. He has been serving time since November and was recently hospitalized for double hernia surgery. U.S. President Trump initially called the proceedings a "witch hunt" but has since eased tensions, lifting sanctions on the lead judge.
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