Bolsonaro arrested after being considered a risk of fleeing
Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.
The former head of state was sentenced of planning a armed takeover in the ninth month and given more than 27 years in incarceration, but he continued under confinement pending appeals.
Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after recent developments were revealed.
This involved trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a summons to a public vigil that could enable a chance to flee".
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a document approving the custody, the judge said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His offspring, Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a assembly of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.
The senator wrote on digital networks on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or observe everything from your phone there on your couch? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so followers could offer prayers for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the chance of his move to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a background of planning to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The legal document highlights that the US embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist United States President Donald Trump, prompting him to enact a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a detention review on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be permitted to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he required frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was convicted of heading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the national vote to his ideological adversary, President Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plot which included plans to murder his opponent and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was stopped because it didn't receive the support of the armed forces officials. The current president was took office without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, many his backers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the federal district, Brazil's capital.
The police took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The judges found that the protesters had been provoked by him whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to step in, restore order and bring him back to power.
At the moment, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 national vote.