🔗 Share this article

Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.

The one-time leader was convicted of plotting a armed takeover in last fall and given more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after recent developments were revealed.

This included trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a possible escape.

Court Filing Details Escape Concerns

In a document approving the arrest, the magistrate said data from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his son.

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

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or observe everything from your phone there on your sofa? I urge you to fight with us."

He said the vigil would be so backers could offer prayers for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's decision was the possibility of his move to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a history of arranging to request asylum through a embassy office", a statement said.

The court filing highlights that the US embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is located around 8 miles from the former president's residence.

Worldwide Consequences

The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist United States President Donald Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

He is being held in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a custody hearing on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the High Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with digital surveillance.

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 ailments.

Details of Guilty Verdict

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of heading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plot which included plans to kill his opponent and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been presiding over the former president's case.

The conspiracy was stopped because it failed to get the support of the armed forces officials. Lula was took office without incident on the first day of 2023.

But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, numerous his backers invaded and destroyed official structures in the federal district, the capital city.

The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.

The judges found that the demonstrators had been provoked by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, bring back stability and bring him back to power.

At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".

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

The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the next presidential race.