The former Brazilian president taken into custody after being deemed a flight risk
The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The former head of state was sentenced of orchestrating a armed takeover in last fall and handed more than 27 years in jail, but he continued under home detention pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after recent developments emerged.
This included seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a demonstration that could "allow for a possible escape.
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the detention, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's plan to remove the tracking monitor to ensure success in his escape.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his son.
His child, Flávio, who serves as a legislator, called for a meeting of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could "pray for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our country."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's decision was the potential of his transfer to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a background of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The court filing highlights that the United States embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is located around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative American leader President Trump, causing him to enact a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being kept in a national police facility in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Top Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that he be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he needed ongoing care for lung conditions and other ailments.
Context of Sentencing
He was convicted of heading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the national vote to his ideological adversary, Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a scheme which included plans to assassinate the current president and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.
The scheme was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. The current president was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged official structures in the capital, BrasĂlia.
The law enforcement took action and around 1,500 people were detained.
The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been incited by him whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to step in, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the period, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from running for public office until 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 presidential election.
