🔗 Share this article

Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.

The one-time leader was sentenced of plotting a military coup in the ninth month and sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he continued under house arrest pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after recent developments were revealed.

This involved attempting to break his ankle monitor and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a potential flight.

Court Filing Details Escape Concerns

In a document approving the custody, Justice Moraes said data from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his getaway".

This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his child.

His son, Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a assembly of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.

His son wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so backers could offer prayers for his health and for the return of democracy in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the possibility of his move to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a record of organizing to ask for protection through a consular facility", a statement said.

The legal document underscores that the US embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is positioned around 8 miles from his dwelling.

Global Responses

His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President Trump, prompting him to impose a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.

The former president is being held in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will experience a detention review on Sunday.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with tracking devices.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be authorized to leave his home for healthcare, saying he demanded regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of leading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the national vote to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which involved plans to murder Lula and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing the former president's case.

The conspiracy was thwarted because it didn't receive the endorsement of the military leaders. His successor was sworn in without issue on the first day of 2023.

But a following week, on January 8th, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged official structures in the national capital, the capital city.

The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were arrested.

The justices found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also prohibited from running for public office until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.

The former president called the trial a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 national vote.