BRASILIA; Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro to be placed under house arrest as he faces trial for allegedly plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 presidential election.

The house arrest order was issued on Monday by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a day after pro-Bolsonaro demonstrations were held across the country.

Bolsonaro is accused of leading an armed criminal organization, attempting a coup, and inciting violent acts against Brazil’s democratic institutions following his defeat by current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Police enforced the order on Monday evening, placing Bolsonaro under house arrest at his residence in Brasilia and seizing his mobile phone. Supporters of the former far-right leader soon gathered outside his residential compound to express solidarity.

Bolsonaro’s lawyers announced they would appeal the decision, insisting the former president had not violated any court orders.

However, Justice Moraes stated that Bolsonaro had breached precautionary measures restricting his social media activity and political messaging, alleging that Bolsonaro continued to post political content through the social media accounts of his three lawmaker sons.

Moraes accused Bolsonaro of using these channels to spread messages that incited attacks against the Supreme Court and promoted foreign intervention in Brazil’s judiciary.

The judge is facing sanctions from the administration of United States President Donald Trump for his role in overseeing the case against Bolsonaro.

The prosecution charges include aggravated damage, deterioration of listed heritage, and violent attempts to abolish the democratic rule of law. If convicted of plotting a coup, Bolsonaro could face up to 12 years in prison.

The allegations stem from events in January 2023, when Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed and vandalized the National Congress and other key state institutions, rejecting Lula’s election victory. Bolsonaro had refused to publicly concede defeat after the 2022 election.

Bolsonaro has denounced the charges, calling them a politically motivated “witch-hunt.” Justice Moraes also targeted Bolsonaro’s son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, freezing his assets in July on suspicion that the funds were being used to lobby the Trump administration against the Brazilian government. Eduardo condemned Moraes, accusing him of abusing his power.

“If he thinks this will make me stop, I make it clear: I will not be intimidated, and I will not be silenced,” Eduardo Bolsonaro stated in a social media post last month, framing the actions against him as part of a broader pattern of persecution.

Despite legal setbacks, Bolsonaro’s political base remains vocal, as evidenced by the recent demonstrations rallying in his support.