Jair Bolsonaro arrested after being deemed a escape threat
Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The former head of state was found guilty of plotting a military coup in September and given more than over two decades in incarceration, but he remained under home detention pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.
This involved attempting to break his tracking device and a invitation to a demonstration that could enable a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the detention, the judge said data from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his child.
His son, Flávio, who holds office as a senator, called for a gathering of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
His son wrote on digital networks on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or watch it all from your phone there on your settee? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the vigil would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the possibility of the former president's transfer to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a history of arranging to ask for protection through a consular facility", a announcement said.
The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist United States President Donald Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be permitted to depart his residence for medical care, saying he required regular treatment for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Context of Sentencing
The former president was determined responsible of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a scheme which involved plans to assassinate Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The plot was thwarted because it failed to get the endorsement of the military leaders. His successor was sworn in without issue on the first day of 2023.
But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, thousands of his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the federal district, BrasĂlia.
The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.
At the time, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 presidential election.