The leftist Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL), one of the formations that supported the election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as president of Brazil, filed an appeal on Monday for the Supreme Court to order the arrest of the now former president Jair Bolsonaro.
The appeal before the Supreme Federal Court (STF) presented by the parliamentarians of the PSOL accuses the far-right leader of having encouraged his followers to carry out violent actssuch as roadblocks and attacks on public buildings and vehicles, in rejection of Lula’s electoral victory.
The request was made one day after the progressive leader took office again as president of Brazil for a third term and four days after Bolsonaro left the country without participating in the investiture of his successor and took refuge in a residence in Miami (USA).
According to press reports, the far-right leader left Brazil precisely because of his fear that, without the jurisdiction as president, any first-instance judge would order his arrest in one of the different processes that are open against him.
The PSOL indicated in its petition that the ex-president is in a position to be arrested because he no longer has the prerogative of jurisdiction.
The leftist party also requests that the Supreme Court order the lifting of Bolsonaro’s telephone and telematic secrecy so that the Federal Police can review your messages in search of possible evidence and avoid the destruction of eventual evidence.
It also requires that Justice confiscate the passport of the former head of state to prevent him from leaving the country again if he returns to Brazil.
Deputy Samia Bomfim, spokesperson for the PSOL in the Lower House, affirmed that a process in the hands of the Supreme Court that investigates anti-democratic acts, in which the far-right leader is one of the defendants, has already produced evidence that allows Bolsonaro to be held responsible.
Said process investigates demonstrations in which groups of Bolsonaristas, instigated by their leader, defended coup proposals, such as the closure of Congress and the Supremeand questioned the functioning of the institutions in Brazil and the electronic voting system.
“He has to be held accountable for the evil he did to Brazil. It is necessary that the main leader of these sectors, who is no longer president of the Republic, is also held responsible for these events,” said the parliamentarian.
The main leader of the PSOL, elected deputy Guilhermo Boulos, stated that the crimes committed by Bolsonaro and members of his government must be punished.
“No amnesty. It’s not revenge and yes to comply with the law and to do Justice”, Boulos affirmed, in his social networks, when rejecting the possibility that some type of pardon is offered to the now ex-president.
Apart from the alleged incitement to violence, there are also investigations against Bolsonaro for the alleged dissemination of false news during the covid-19 pandemic, for the disclosure of confidential data to torpedo the presidential elections and for obstruction of justice.