A Brazilian judge has ordered house arrest for ten individuals previously found guilty of plotting to keep former President Jair Bolsonaro in power after the 2022 election.
Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes issued the orders shortly after a former police commander, also convicted in the plot, was apprehended in Paraguay and returned to Brazil.
Silvinei Vasques, the former director of Brazil’s Federal Highway Police, was sent back to Brazil after attempting to flee to El Salvador using falsified documents. He had previously removed his ankle monitor and driven to Paraguay, according to Brazilian authorities.
The ten individuals now under house arrest were already facing restrictions, such as wearing ankle monitors or nightly curfews.
Filipe Martins, a former advisor to Bolsonaro, is among those affected. His lawyer has stated they will appeal the decision.
Bolsonaro himself was convicted and sentenced to prison for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2022 election results. He has been hospitalized recently, undergoing surgery for a hernia and treatment for persistent hiccups, according to his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro.
The trials against Bolsonaro and other officials accused of involvement in the alleged plot have drawn close attention in Brazil.
During his time in office, former U.S. President Donald Trump had voiced concerns about the legal proceedings against Bolsonaro.
The U.S. government has since appeared to adjust its stance, recently easing some trade restrictions and lifting sanctions against Judge de Moraes.
