Jair Bolsonaro arrested after being deemed a escape threat

Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The one-time leader was convicted of planning a military coup in September and sentenced more than 27 years in incarceration, but he was staying under home detention pending appeals.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after fresh information were revealed.

This encompassed seeking to disable his tracking device and a invitation to a public vigil that could facilitate a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a paperwork permitting the custody, the judge said intelligence from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his flight.

This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his offspring.

His child, his son Flávio, who serves as a legislator, called for a assembly of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

His son wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your settee? I call on you to battle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's ruling was the chance of his "relocation to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a record of planning to seek refuge through a embassy office", a announcement said.

The court filing underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 8 miles from the former president's residence.

Global Responses

The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative United States President Donald Trump, leading him to impose a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

He is being held in a national police facility in the capital and will experience a detention review on the next day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.

They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be permitted to depart his residence for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was convicted of heading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which involved plans to assassinate Lula and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing the former president's case.

The plot was prevented because it failed to get the support of the armed forces officials. His successor was inaugurated without incident on January 1st, 2023.

But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, thousands of his followers attacked and damaged government buildings in the national capital, Brasília.

The security forces stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.

The judges found that the demonstrators had been incited by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, restore order and return him to office.

At the time, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.

He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.

The one-time head of state called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 presidential election.