Jair Bolsonaro says he never knew son Flávio would publish his letter, defense tells Brazil's Supreme Court

On July 15, the legal team of former President Jair Bolsonaro submitted a petition to Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) asserting that Bolsonaro "jamais soube que a carta seria publicizada". The petition argues that the handwritten letter, read by Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in a live broadcast and later posted on social media, was disclosed without the ex‑president’s prior knowledge or instruction, and therefore does not breach the court‑imposed restrictions that bar Bolsonaro from using any communication channels, directly or through third parties.

Minister Alexandre de Moraes had earlier suspended Flávio’s visits to his father for 90 days, contending that the public reading of the letter violated the provisional order. The defense maintains that Bolsonaro has fully complied with the house‑arrest conditions, which were imposed after his conviction for an attempted coup and his subsequent humanitarian detention due to health problems. The STF has asked the Prosecutor‑General’s Office to respond within five days; the minister will decide whether the episode constitutes a breach that could lead to revoking Bolsonaro’s house arrest and returning him to the Papudinha prison in Brasília.

The petition was signed by Flávio Bolsonaro and six other lawyers, and the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) also appealed for a reconsideration of the visitation ban, arguing that the senator is acting as his father’s legal counsel.