Jair Bolsonaro detained after being declared a flight risk
The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.
The one-time leader was found guilty of orchestrating a government overthrow in last fall and handed more than a 27-year term in prison, but he remained under house arrest pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after fresh information were revealed.
This encompassed attempting to break his tracking device and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Flight Fears
In a document approving the arrest, the magistrate said intelligence from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his offspring.
His child, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's decision was the chance of the former president's move to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a history of planning to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said.
The judicial paperwork highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist United States President Trump, leading him to implement a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.
Bolsonaro is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that Bolsonaro be allowed to leave his home for medical care, saying he needed ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was found guilty of heading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a plot which included plans to kill Lula and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.
The plot was prevented because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the military leaders. His successor was sworn in without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a following week, on 8 January, numerous his backers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the federal district, Brasília.
The police intervened and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.
The judges found that the rioters had been encouraged by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the period, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from campaigning for office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the trial a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 national vote.