Jair Bolsonaro detained after being declared a escape threat
Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The ex-president was sentenced of planning a military coup in September and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he continued under confinement pending appeals.
Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" emerged.
This involved trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a document approving the custody, the magistrate said information from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the former leader's "intention to break the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his child.
His son, his son Flávio, who serves 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 the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or see it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the chance of his move to embassies near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a consular facility", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, the capital city, is located around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist American leader President Trump, leading him to impose a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being kept in a national police facility in the capital and will undergo a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the High Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also asked that Bolsonaro be permitted to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he needed frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
He was determined responsible of leading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plan which included plans to murder his opponent and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was stopped because it failed to get the support of the armed forces officials. His successor was took office without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, thousands of his followers attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, Brasília.
The security forces intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.
The judges found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, bring back stability and return him to office.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from running for public office until 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 national vote.