Bolsonaro detained after being deemed a flight risk
The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The former head of state was found guilty of orchestrating a government overthrow in the ninth month and given more than 27 years in prison, but he remained under house arrest pending appeals.
Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a safety action after fresh information were revealed.
This involved trying to remove his ankle monitor and a summons to a public vigil that could enable a possible escape.
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a document approving the arrest, the judge said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone there on your settee? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a background of organizing to request asylum through a consular facility", a announcement said.
The legal document emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brasilia, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist United States President Trump, prompting him to enact a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.
He is being held in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will experience a custody hearing on the following day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be allowed to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he demanded regular treatment for lung conditions and other ailments.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was convicted of leading a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the 2022 election to his political opponent, President Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plan which involved plans to assassinate his opponent and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The conspiracy was thwarted because it didn't receive the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. His successor was sworn in without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, many Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, Brasília.
The security forces took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.
The justices found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by him whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to take action, bring back stability and return him to office.
At the time, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The former president called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 national vote.