Bolsonaro taken into custody after being deemed a risk of fleeing
Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The ex-president was convicted of orchestrating a armed takeover in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in incarceration, but he continued under house arrest pending appeals.
High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a preventative measure after fresh information emerged.
This involved seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a call for a demonstration that could enable a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a document approving the arrest, Justice Moraes said data from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's aim to disable the tracking monitor to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.
His offspring, FlĂĄvio Bolsonaro, who works as a senator, called for a meeting of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.
The senator wrote on social media on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or observe everything from your phone there on your settee? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the vigil would be so supporters could offer prayers for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the magistrate's determination was the potential of Bolsonaro's transfer to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a background of arranging to request asylum through a consular facility", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the US embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, prompting him to impose a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being kept in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will experience a custody hearing on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that he be allowed to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he demanded ongoing care for lung conditions and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
The former president was determined responsible of leading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, President Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plot which encompassed plans to assassinate the current president and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The conspiracy was thwarted because it didn't receive the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. His successor was took office without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, thousands of his backers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, the capital city.
The security forces took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The justices found that the demonstrators had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office.
At the time, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from running for public office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 presidential election.