Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro told a judge that he damaged his ankle monitor because he believed it was bugged during a medication-induced hallucination.
Authorities arrested him on Saturday after detecting interference with the device. Officials suspected he might attempt to flee to a foreign embassy to avoid starting his 27-year sentence.
Bolsonaro has been living under house arrest since his conviction for attempting a coup. The alert over the damaged device prompted immediate police action.
During the hearing, Bolsonaro said a painkiller and an antidepressant created a brief psychotic episode. Acting on this delusion, he tried to dismantle the device with a soldering iron.
Political observers questioned the claim due to conflicting earlier statements. Former foreign allies also reacted quietly, signaling diminishing support.