The Workers’ Party (PT), the political party of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, defended on Monday the legality of the house arrest order issued against former president Jair Bolsonaro in connection with his trial for attempting a coup d’état.

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PT leader Edinho Silva justified the Supreme Court’s measure by citing Bolsonaro’s violations of the precautionary measures already imposed on him, including a ban on using his own social media accounts or those of third parties to broadcast messages.

“If there is an order from the Supreme Court and it is violated, it is evident that the judiciary has the prerogative to increase the proposed penalty,” he wrote on social media.

Silva also stated that “defenders of democracy” must stand “on the side of legality” so that the democratic system emerges “stronger” from the trial of Bolsonaro and other high-ranking political and military officials, who are accused of trying to overturn the results of the 2022 elections, which Lula legitimately won.

Judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered Bolsonaro’s house arrest and prohibited him from receiving visitors unless previously authorized by the Supreme Court, after the former president participated via video call in one of the demonstrations held on Sunday to protest the coup attempt trial. The former president faces a sentence of over 40 years in prison in this case, which is expected to conclude before the end of the year.

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