Former President Jair Bolsonaro mounted an unusual medical defense for tampering with his electronic ankle monitor, claiming a “psychotic attack” induced by prescription drug side effects was responsible. He told the court that a combination of a painkiller and an antidepressant led to paranoia and the false belief that the device was secretly recording him.
The former leader was arrested by federal police after they detected interference with his tracking equipment, suspecting he was about to flee to a foreign embassy to avoid his 27-year sentence for a failed coup. Bolsonaro denied any plan to flee the country.
The medical excuse is viewed with intense skepticism by political analysts, especially because it sharply contradicts his earlier public statement that he damaged the monitor merely “out of curiosity.” His testimony is the latest sensational twist in his legal troubles.