Jair Bolsonaro has insisted that he tampered with his ankle monitor only because he suffered a medication-induced hallucination that made him believe the device was spying on him.
The former leader was arrested early Saturday after security teams discovered that the monitor had been altered. Officials suspected he was preparing to flee into diplomatic protection to avoid serving a 27-year sentence.
Bolsonaro has been under house arrest since his Supreme Court conviction for plotting a coup. As he awaited his transfer to prison, monitoring alerts indicated possible sabotage, prompting an urgent warrant.
At Sunday’s hearing, Bolsonaro said he had taken an analgesic and an antidepressant days earlier, which he believes triggered an episode of acute paranoia. Under this delusion, he used a hand tool to damage the tracking equipment.
Scepticism followed, especially after a video emerged showing him giving a different explanation. Responses from abroad were equally muted, including from former supporters who once defended him fiercely.