Jair Bolsonaro arrested after being deemed a risk of fleeing
The former Brazilian leader 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 armed takeover in the ninth month and given more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he continued under home detention pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after fresh information came to light.
This encompassed attempting to break his ankle monitor and a call for a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks
In a document approving the custody, the judge said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the protest called by his son.
His son, Flávio, who works as a senator, called for a meeting of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on online platforms on Friday: Will you battle for your nation, or watch it all from your phone there on your settee? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so backers could "pray for his health and for the return of democracy in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's decision was the possibility of the former president's move to embassies near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of planning to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the US embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
Global Responses
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative American leader Trump, prompting him to implement a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.
He is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will have a custody hearing on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be allowed to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he required regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Context of Sentencing
The former president was convicted of orchestrating a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the national vote to his ideological adversary, President Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plan which included plans to kill the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The plot was stopped because it didn't receive the backing of the army and air force commanders. Lula was sworn in without issue on the first day of 2023.
But a following week, on the eighth of January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged government buildings in the national capital, Brasília.
The law enforcement took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The judges found that the protesters had been provoked by him whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, restore order and bring him back to power.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 presidential election.