Bolsonaro seeks prison meeting with Trump adviser Darren Beattie

Lawyers for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have asked the country’s Supreme Court to approve a visit from Darren Beattie, a far-right adviser linked to the administration of United States President Donald Trump.

A court filing submitted Tuesday shows Bolsonaro’s legal team requesting permission for Beattie to meet the former president in prison next week, either on March 16 or March 17 during standard visiting hours.

“Exceptional authorisation is requested so that the visit can take place on March 16, in the afternoon, or on March 17, in the morning or early afternoon,” the filing states.

The request also asks that an interpreter be present during the meeting because Bolsonaro does not speak fluent English.

Bolsonaro, 70, is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence after being convicted of attempting to overturn the results of Brazil’s 2022 presidential election. Prosecutors argued that the former president worked with military officials in a plot aimed at dismantling the country’s democratic order.

He was convicted in September and began serving his sentence in November after his appeal was rejected.

The request to meet with Beattie has drawn criticism from Bolsonaro’s opponents, who argue that the former president may be attempting to leverage his ties with figures close to Trump to influence his legal situation.

Trump has repeatedly defended Bolsonaro and criticised the prosecution against him, framing it as politically motivated. In earlier statements, he described the case as a “Witch Hunt”.

“This trial should not be taking place. It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote in a letter last year when announcing tariffs on certain Brazilian exports.

Those tariffs, which reached 50 percent on some goods, were among the highest applied at the time and were explicitly linked to Bolsonaro’s prosecution.

Despite those tensions, relations between Trump and Brazil’s current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — Bolsonaro’s rival in the 2022 election — have reportedly improved in recent months.

Meanwhile, Brazil’s political landscape remains closely tied to Bolsonaro’s legacy as the country prepares for a presidential election scheduled for October.

His eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, announced his candidacy in December with his father’s backing and is expected to run against Lula, who is seeking a fourth presidential term.

A March poll by Datafolha shows Lula leading the race with 46 percent support, while Flavio Bolsonaro has gained ground with 43 percent.

Members of the Bolsonaro family have also been campaigning for the former president’s release. Flavio Bolsonaro previously suggested he might withdraw from the race if his father were freed, though he later walked back the remark.

Another son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, is currently facing trial on charges of obstruction of justice related to efforts to seek assistance from Trump regarding his father’s case.

Beattie, the adviser whose visit is now being requested, has publicly voiced support for the Bolsonaro family. He has also been sharply critical of Brazil’s judiciary, accusing Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes of leading what he described as a campaign against Bolsonaro.

Beattie previously served in the Trump administration during the president’s first term but was dismissed in 2018 after reports emerged that he had attended a white nationalist conference several years earlier.