Bolsonaro to be Questioned Over Confiscated Pistol

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is set to be questioned by police at his home on Tuesday concerning a nine-millimeter Glock pistol registered in his name that was confiscated from a member of his security team. The firearm, along with its magazine, was discovered by officers during a vehicle stop in the capital, Brasilia, on Monday.

The authorization for the interrogation comes from a Brazilian Supreme Court judge, Alexandre de Moraes. Bolsonaro, 71, is currently serving a 27-year sentence for his role in plotting a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He has been under house arrest since March to recover from pneumonia, with a review of his incarceration terms scheduled for next week.

The individual found with the pistol claimed to be part of Bolsonaro's security detail and stated he was transporting the weapon for repairs. Court documents indicate that Bolsonaro's security team had disabled the firearm by removing its firing pin without informing him, citing "psychiatric medications that had been administered to the Petitioner, capable of affecting his cognition."

Attorneys for Bolsonaro confirmed the weapon was legally registered to him and kept at his residence. They denied any connection between the confiscated pistol and the upcoming deadline for his house arrest review. This incident follows a previous instance last year where Bolsonaro was returned to jail in November after burning his ankle monitoring bracelet with a soldering iron, an act the court interpreted as an attempted escape. His lawyers at the time attributed that incident to mental confusion caused by his medications.

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psychiatric medications that had been administered to the Petitioner, capable of affecting his cognition