Bolsonaro arrested after being considered a flight risk
Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.
The ex-president was found guilty of orchestrating a government overthrow in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in jail, but he continued under house arrest pending legal challenges.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" came to light.
This involved attempting to break his ankle monitor and a summons to a demonstration that could "allow for a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the custody, the judge said intelligence from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's "intention to break the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio, who holds office as a senator, called for a gathering of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
The senator wrote on digital networks on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your settee? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could "pray for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the potential of his transfer to embassies near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of organizing to ask for protection through a embassy office", a declaration said.
The court filing emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, the capital city, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist American leader President Trump, causing him to impose a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being held in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will have a imprisonment assessment on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also petitioned that the former president be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he demanded ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
He was found guilty of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, President Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plot which included plans to kill his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The scheme was stopped because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the military leaders. His successor was took office without issue on the first day of 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, many Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed public facilities in the national capital, Brazil's capital.
The law enforcement took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.
The judges found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him running in the next presidential race.