Brazil's top court bars candidate Flávio Bolsonaro from visiting his jailed father for 90 days after social media letter

The ruling

On Monday, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes barred Senator and presidential pre-candidate Flávio Bolsonaro from visiting his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, for 90 days. The restriction, which runs beyond the October 4 first-round vote, comes after Flávio read a handwritten letter from his father on social media over the weekend of July 11-12. Jair Bolsonaro has been under house arrest since March 2026 on health grounds, serving a sentence of over 27 years for plotting a coup after his 2022 election loss. The terms of his detention explicitly ban him from using social media, directly or through third parties. Moraes ruled that Flávio's broadcast violated that court order and "configured an ostentatious deviation of purpose" in exercising his visiting rights.

The irregular conduct of Flávio Nantes Bolsonaro expressly disrespected a judicial prohibition and constituted an ostensible deviation of purpose in the exercise of his visiting right.

The judge also gave Jair Bolsonaro's lawyers 48 hours to explain whether the former president knew the letter would be shared on social networks.

The letter and campaign rules

In the letter, Jair Bolsonaro called on allies to "set aside any differences" and back Flávio's presidential bid, describing his son as his "spokesperson". Moraes saw the language as an "explicit request for votes" and ordered the electoral prosecutor, Paulo Gonet, to investigate whether the broadcast amounts to early electoral propaganda, which is banned before the official campaign period begins on August 16.

The move effectively seals off the direct contact that had been central to Flávio's campaign strategy. According to El País, many key decisions about state-level alliances and congressional candidate lists were being hammered out inside the Brasília villa where Jair Bolsonaro is confined.

Family rift deepens

The letter also landed amid a very public family feud. Days before, Michelle Bolsonaro, Jair's wife and Brazil's former first lady, posted a video on social media saying she felt "stabbed" and "humiliated" by her stepson Flávio. Shortly after, she resigned from her post within the Liberal Party, and it is now unclear whether she will run for a senate seat as widely expected. Her absence could cost the campaign crucial support among evangelical women and conservative voters.

Repeated violations

Moraes noted that Flávio Bolsonaro is a repeat offender. In August 2025, he telephoned his father during a political rally and streamed the call, breaching the same prohibition on indirect social media use. The judge described that episode as another instance of contempt for court orders.

Electoral stakes

With the first round of the presidential election set for October 4 and a possible runoff on October 25, the visitation ban deprives Flávio of his father's counsel during the critical final weeks of campaigning. After a strong start that once put him neck and neck with Lula, Flávio's campaign has faced a series of difficulties. Most polls now show incumbent leftist president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva with a lead of 3 to 7 percentage points over Flávio in a second-round matchup.