Jair Bolsonaro detained after being declared a risk of fleeing

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Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.

The one-time leader was sentenced of plotting a government overthrow in last fall and given more than 27 years in prison, but he continued under home detention pending appeals.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a preventative measure after recent developments were revealed.

This involved trying to remove his tracking device and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns

In a document approving the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the tracking monitor to ensure success in his getaway".

This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his offspring.

His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a legislator, called for a meeting of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on Friday: Will you battle for your country, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the vigil would be so followers could "pray for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of the former president's move to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a history of planning to ask for protection through a embassy office", a announcement said.

The legal document underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, the capital city, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist United States President President Trump, causing him to implement a fifty percent tax on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will have a detention review on Sunday.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with digital surveillance.

They also petitioned that he be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

The former president was found guilty of leading a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plan which included plans to kill his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was stopped because it couldn't obtain the support of the military leaders. Lula was inaugurated without issue on January 1st, 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, many his backers attacked and damaged public facilities in the capital, the capital city.

The police took action and around 1,500 people were detained.

The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the moment, the legal team called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

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

The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him running in the 2026 national vote.

Jesse Jones
Jesse Jones

Lena Visser is an investigative journalist and storyteller based in Amsterdam, focusing on human interest and social issues.