Jair Bolsonaro taken into custody after being declared a risk of fleeing
Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.
The one-time leader was convicted of orchestrating a military coup in September and given more than 27 years in prison, but he remained under home detention pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a precautionary step after fresh information emerged.
This encompassed trying to remove his ankle monitor and a summons to a demonstration that could "allow for a possible escape.
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a document approving the arrest, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the tracking monitor to ensure success in his escape.
This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the protest called by his son.
His son, his son Flávio, who serves as a legislator, called for a gathering of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
His son wrote on digital networks on last Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your couch? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's decision was the potential of his move to embassies near the home, considering that the probes revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the US embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is located around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist US President President Trump, leading him to implement a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a national police facility in Brasilia and will undergo a detention review on the following day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that Bolsonaro be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other ailments.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was found guilty of heading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the national vote to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
High Court judges said that he knew of a scheme which encompassed plans to kill his opponent and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was thwarted because it failed to get the endorsement of the military leaders. Lula was sworn in without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised official structures in the national capital, Brasília.
The police took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.
The judges found that the protesters had been incited by him whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him running in the next presidential race.