Jair Bolsonaro arrested after being declared a flight risk

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Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.

The ex-president was convicted of plotting a armed takeover in last fall and sentenced more than a 27-year term in prison, but he was staying under home detention pending appeals.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" came to light.

This encompassed seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a call for a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a document approving the detention, the judge said data from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the tracking monitor to ensure success in his getaway".

This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his offspring.

His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a legislator, called for a assembly of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.

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

He said the vigil would be so backers could "pray for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the judge's decision was the chance of his move to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a embassy office", a announcement said.

The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brasilia, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist American leader Trump, prompting him to enact a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being detained in a national police facility in Brasilia and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the High Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with digital surveillance.

They also asked that the former president be authorized to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he needed regular treatment for lung conditions and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

He was determined responsible of leading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, Lula.

High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which involved plans to kill his opponent and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing the former president's case.

The scheme was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the armed forces officials. The current president was took office without incident on the first day of 2023.

But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, many his followers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the federal district, Brasília.

The law enforcement took action and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.

The judges found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the period, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

He was also banned from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The former president called the trial a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 presidential election.

Zachary Hunt
Zachary Hunt

A seasoned journalist with over a decade of experience covering European and global affairs, based in London.