Bolsonaro arrested after being deemed a risk of fleeing

Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was convicted of plotting a government overthrow in last fall and sentenced more than a 27-year term in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending appeals.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after "new facts" emerged.

This involved seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a call for a demonstration that could enable a possible escape.

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a document approving the detention, Justice Moraes said data from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the former leader's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his escape.

This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.

His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a senator, called for a meeting of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.

The senator wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your phone there on your couch? I urge you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so supporters could offer prayers for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's determination was the chance of Bolsonaro's "relocation to foreign missions near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a embassy office", a statement said.

The judicial paperwork underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, the capital city, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist United States President Trump, leading him to implement a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.

The former president is being kept in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will have a custody hearing on the next day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the High Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.

They also petitioned that the former president be authorized to depart his residence for medical care, saying he needed frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Details of Guilty Verdict

Bolsonaro was convicted of heading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plan which included plans to kill the current president and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The conspiracy was prevented because it didn't receive the backing of the army and air force commanders. His successor was sworn in without issue on January 1st, 2023.

But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, thousands of his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the federal district, the capital city.

The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were arrested.

The justices found that the demonstrators had been incited by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, restore order and bring him back to power.

At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also banned from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The former president called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the next presidential race.