The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accuses the judge Alexandre de Moraes of a "political witch hunt" against Bolsonaro, who is a close ally of President Donald Trump.
Rubio accuses Moraes of having created a "persecution and censorship complex" and at the same time announced visa restrictions for other judges who have sided with Moraes, as well as for their closest family members.
The right-wing extremist Jair Bolsonaro, who ruled Brazil between 2019 and 2022, has been brought to justice for attempting to stage a coup after losing the presidential election in 2022 against the left-wing politician Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro denies the allegations.
Brazil's Supreme Court has decided that Bolsonaro must wear an ankle monitor. He is also prohibited from using social media and must cease all contact with his son Eduardo Bolsonaro - a Brazilian politician living in the US with close ties to Trump. On Friday, Brazilian police conducted a search of Jair Bolsonaro's home.
Judge Moraes says that the measures are necessary due to Jair Bolsonaro and his son's "hostile actions" against Brazil.
