Brazil Court Orders Flávio Bolsonaro to Surrender Passports After Election Loss to Lula

Brazilian Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Senator Flávio Bolsonaro to surrender his passports and barred him from leaving the country, hours after Bolsonaro lost the presidential election to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who won on Sunday, October 25, 2026. The brief ruling refers only to a criminal case in which federal police are investigating Bolsonaro over possible involvement in a money-laundering scheme. It also orders him to have no contact with Willer Tomaz, a lawyer linked to betting companies that police suspect were used to launder about £680m. Bolsonaro said in a video that the decision was based on an interview his brother Eduardo gave last Friday urging him to leave Brazil if he lost. On Monday night his party said it recognised the result proclaimed by the electoral court but wanted the questions raised to be clarified through political debate; Bolsonaro himself has not conceded. U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday, without citing evidence, that the election looked rigged.

The left-leaning Guardian and New York Times lead with the court order. The Guardian adds the most detail: it notes that Moraes also oversaw the coup trial of Bolsonaro's father, Jair Bolsonaro, quotes the party statement, and points out that Flávio, like his father four years ago, has not conceded. The Times headline stresses the Supreme Court and the money-laundering inquiry, with police told to seize the passport. Both tie the order to the investigation. The Hindu, in the alternative group, takes a different angle: it leads with Trump's unsupported claim, quotes his remark that he did not take sides, and notes Trump's ties to Jair Bolsonaro and his administration's praise for recent right-wing wins in Latin America. It does not mention the passport order. Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and alternative outlets had.