The former Brazilian president detained after being declared a risk of fleeing
Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The ex-president was found guilty of planning a military coup in last fall and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he remained under confinement pending appeals.
High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after recent developments were revealed.
This encompassed trying to remove his ankle monitor and a invitation to a demonstration that could enable a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the custody, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his son.
His son, his son Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a assembly of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your sofa? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the magistrate's determination was the possibility of the former president's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of arranging to seek refuge through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The court filing highlights that the US embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is located around 8 miles from his dwelling.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a national police facility in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be permitted to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he demanded ongoing care for lung conditions and other ailments.
Context of Sentencing
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plan which included plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was thwarted because it didn't receive the endorsement of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, numerous his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were detained.
The justices found that the protesters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, restore order and bring him back to power.
At the period, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 national vote.