Jair Bolsonaro detained after being deemed a escape threat

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Bolsonaro has been taken into custody 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 sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending legal challenges.

High Court Judge the presiding justice said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a safety action after recent developments emerged.

This included seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Court Filing Details Flight Fears

In a paperwork permitting the arrest, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his child.

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

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your settee? I urge you to battle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our country."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the judge's decision was the potential of Bolsonaro's transfer to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a history of organizing to ask for protection through a consular facility", a announcement said.

The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President Trump, causing him to impose a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

The former president is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will have a custody hearing on the next day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.

They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he required ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other ailments.

Details of Guilty Verdict

The former president was convicted of leading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plan which included plans to murder Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was stopped because it didn't receive the support of the military leaders. Lula was took office without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on the eighth of January, thousands of his followers attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.

The justices found that the demonstrators had been provoked by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, bring back stability and bring him back to power.

At the period, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also barred from seeking elected position until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.

The former president called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 presidential election.

Christina Weber
Christina Weber

A passionate automotive journalist with over a decade of experience, specializing in UK car markets and eco-friendly driving solutions.