The former Brazilian president arrested after being considered a escape threat
Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The one-time leader was convicted of orchestrating a armed takeover in last fall and handed more than 27 years in prison, but he remained under home detention pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after fresh information came to light.
This encompassed seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a document approving the detention, Justice Moraes said data from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the protest called by his child.
His offspring, his son Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a meeting of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.
His son wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or see it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so supporters could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of planning to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is positioned around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist United States President Donald Trump, prompting him to implement a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro is being kept in a national police facility in Brasilia and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also asked that the former president be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he demanded ongoing care for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Context of Sentencing
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of orchestrating a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the presidential race to his ideological adversary, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plot which involved plans to murder his opponent and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The scheme was stopped because it didn't receive the endorsement of the military leaders. Lula was took office without issue on the first day of 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, many Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed official structures in the national capital, the capital city.
The security forces stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to take action, restore order and bring him back to power.
At the period, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also banned from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 national vote.