Bolsonaro taken into custody after being deemed a flight risk
Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The ex-president was found guilty of orchestrating a armed takeover in September and handed more than over two decades in incarceration, but he was staying under home detention pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" were revealed.
This involved seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could "allow for a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a document approving the detention, Justice Moraes said data from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his son.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a senator, called for a assembly of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
The senator wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Will you battle for your country, or watch it all from your phone there on your sofa? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could "pray for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the magistrate's determination was the chance of the former president's transfer to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a background of arranging to ask for protection through a consular facility", a statement said.
The court filing underscores that the US embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative American leader Donald Trump, causing him to enact a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.
He is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that he be permitted to depart his residence for medical care, saying he demanded ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
The former president was determined responsible of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plan which included plans to murder the current president and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.
The scheme was thwarted because it didn't receive the support of the military leaders. His successor was sworn in without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on the eighth of January, thousands of his backers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the federal district, Brazil's capital.
The police intervened and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been provoked by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to take action, bring back stability and return him to office.
At the period, the legal team called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.
The former president called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 national vote.