Jair Bolsonaro arrested after being declared a risk of fleeing
Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The one-time leader was found guilty of plotting a armed takeover in the ninth month and given more than 27 years in jail, but he remained under house arrest pending legal challenges.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" came to light.
This encompassed seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a invitation to a public vigil that could enable a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a document approving the custody, the magistrate said information from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the surveillance device to ensure success in his escape.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His son, his son Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
His son wrote on digital networks on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our country."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's determination was the possibility of the former president's transfer to embassies near the home, considering that the probes revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a consular facility", a announcement said.
The court filing underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, the capital city, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist US President President Trump, prompting him to impose a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being detained in a national police facility in Brasilia and will undergo a detention review on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be allowed to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he demanded ongoing care for lung conditions and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
He was found guilty of orchestrating a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which involved plans to murder his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing the former president's case.
The conspiracy was stopped because it couldn't obtain the backing of the armed forces officials. His successor was sworn in without issue on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, numerous his backers stormed and vandalised official structures in the national capital, the capital city.
The security forces stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, reestablish control and bring him back to power.
At the period, the legal team called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also barred from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.
The one-time head of state called the trial a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 presidential election.