Jair Bolsonaro taken into custody after being deemed a risk of fleeing
The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.
The one-time leader was convicted of planning a military coup in last fall and sentenced more than a 27-year term in prison, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.
This included seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a summons to a public vigil that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the detention, the magistrate said information from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the protest called by his offspring.
His offspring, Flávio, who holds office as a senator, called for a gathering of his backers near his father's house to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on Friday: Will you battle for your country, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your settee? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the possibility of his transfer to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a record of arranging to ask for protection through a consular facility", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, the capital city, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist United States President President Trump, leading him to impose a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.
The former president is being detained in a national police facility in the capital and will have a custody hearing on the following day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he demanded regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
He was found guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the national vote to his political opponent, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plot which involved plans to kill his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The scheme was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without issue on 1 January 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, numerous Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed government buildings in the federal district, the capital city.
The police intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.
The justices found that the demonstrators had been incited by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, restore order and reinstate his authority.
At the period, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.
The former president called the trial a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 presidential election.