Bolsonaro lawyers seek to overturn house arrest as 'censorship'
Lawyers for Jair Bolsonaro petitioned Brazil's Supreme Court on Wednesday to revoke the former president's house arrest, which they described as a form of "censorship."
The 70-year-old politician and ally of US President Donald Trump has been confined to his home in the capital, Brasilia, since Monday for violating a court order prohibiting the use of social media as part of the trial he faces over an alleged coup attempt.
His lawyers argued on Wednesday that there was "no breach" of the restrictions when allies shared footage of a call between him and his eldest son, Flavio, at a solidarity rally in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.
As part of the restrictions, third parties are also banned from sharing Bolsonaro's remarks on social media.
"If he cannot even greet the public, then he is being forbidden from expressing himself, which amounts to censorship," they said in a court document seen by AFP.
The defense argued that the far-right leader is not banned from giving interviews and that he "has no control over third parties who might share content without his direct or indirect involvement."
If Justice Alexandre de Moraes -- who is overseeing the case in the Supreme Court -- refuses to reconsider the house arrest order, Bolsonaro's lawyers are demanding that the other four justices vote on it before the case concludes in the coming weeks.
Bolsonaro has been required since mid-July to wear an electronic ankle monitor. New measures imposed on Monday include restrictions on mobile phone use.
Previously limited to meeting with his lawyers, Bolsonaro was granted permission on Wednesday by Moraes to receive visits from his children and other close relatives without prior judicial authorization.
The restrictions placed on Bolsonaro have been criticized as confusing or excessive by some legal experts, the Brazilian press and his allies.
In Brazil's congress, pro-Bolsonaro lawmakers protested his house arrest, disrupting legislative activity on Tuesday and Wednesday.
They demanded a vote be scheduled on a motion to impeach Moraes and on a proposed general amnesty bill that critics say could benefit Bolsonaro.
Critical of Bolsonaro's trial, Trump has authorized 50 percent tariffs on Brazilian imports, and his administration has imposed financial sanctions on Moraes.
Banned from running for office until 2030, Bolsonaro could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted in the ongoing trial.
