Bolsonaro's defense asks court to dismiss firearm offense, maintain house arrest

Jair Bolsonaro's defense team is urging the Supreme Federal Court to dismiss a "serious offense" charge related to firearm possession, advocating for the continuation of his house arrest. In a petition filed Saturday, lawyers asserted that the pistol in question was legally registered and had been kept at Bolsonaro's residence since before his conviction.

According to the defense, the firearm was only temporarily removed by Bolsonaro's security detail for repairs after it malfunctioned. They emphasized that no court order had mandated the weapon's seizure, nor had there been any notification regarding the cancellation of its registration. The defense stated that the weapon's ownership was immediately acknowledged and never constituted a clandestine circumstance.

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Não houve ocultação do armamento, adulteração de registro, emprego de expediente destinado a frustrar a fiscalização estatal ou qualquer conduta voltada a impedir a identificação de sua origem ou titularidade. Ao contrário, a propriedade da arma foi imediatamente reconhecida e jamais constituiu circunstância desconhecida ou clandestina

Earlier, Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet suggested that the firearm's possession did not constitute a disciplinary offense, recommending that the investigation into maintaining Bolsonaro's house arrest be concluded. The case hinges on Minister Alexandre de Moraes's decision regarding the extension of Bolsonaro's confinement to his home or a potential return to the Papudinha prison unit in Brasília.

Bolsonaro himself admitted to owning the Glock 9mm pistol in a police statement, explaining he had asked his security to fix it after detecting a fault. The pistol was seized in June from Bolsonaro's security guard, Estácio Leite da Silva Filho, during a police stop approximately 33 kilometers from Bolsonaro's residence. The defense concluded by requesting Moraes to dismiss the serious offense and prolong the humanitarian house arrest, asserting no intent or negligence from Bolsonaro to violate judicial orders.

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a apreensão do armamento poderia demonstrar uma "falta grave" e ensejar "a cessação da prisão domiciliar"