Supreme Court Justice issues arrest warrant for Eduardo Bolsonaro

Weeks ahead of Brazil’s presidential runoff, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has issued an arrest warrant for Eduardo Bolsonaro, the brother of presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro.

Justice de Moraes ordered Eduardo Bolsonaro to begin serving a four-year prison sentence immediately. The ruling also cancelled his Brazilian passport and directed federal police to detain him if he returns to the country.

The 42-year-old former lawmaker currently resides in Texas as a green card holder. In March 2025, he relocated to the United States to dedicate his efforts toward freeing his father, former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro. That relocation cost him his seat in the Brazilian National Congress as well as his position as a federal police investigator.

In June, the Supreme Court convicted Eduardo Bolsonaro of lobbying the United States to interfere in his father’s trial. The charges involved pushing for sanctions against Brazilian government officials and higher tariffs on national exports. He subsequently served as a key liaison between his brother and the Trump administration, joining a May meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House.

Justice de Moraes chaired the investigation that led to former President Jair Bolsonaro receiving a 27-year prison sentence in September 2025 for plotting a coup. The Bolsonaro family views the judge as a political enemy.

Regarding the fugitive status, Justice de Moraes stated in his ruling that the defendant cannot benefit from fleeing the national territory to an unknown location for the purpose of thwarting the application of criminal law.

The warrant lands as tensions peak before the October 25 runoff election between incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro, who enters the contest as the favourite. Amid the mounting political drama, both sides of Brazil’s deeply polarised partisan divide have long accused each other of corruption and lawfare.