Jair Bolsonaro detained after being deemed a risk of fleeing

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The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The ex-president was found guilty of planning a armed takeover in last fall and handed more than a 27-year term in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.

High Court Judge the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after fresh information came to light.

This included attempting to break his ankle monitor and a summons to a public vigil that could facilitate a possible escape.

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a document approving the arrest, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.

His offspring, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.

The senator wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I call on you to struggle with us."

He said the gathering would be so supporters could "pray for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a history of organizing to ask for protection through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The legal document emphasizes that the US embassy in the capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist US President Donald Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.

Bolsonaro is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will experience a detention review on the following day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with tracking devices.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be allowed to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he demanded regular treatment for lung conditions and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

The former president was determined responsible of orchestrating a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a scheme which involved plans to assassinate his opponent and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.

The conspiracy was prevented because it didn't receive the support of the military leaders. His successor was inaugurated without incident on January 1st, 2023.

But a following week, on the eighth of January, thousands of his backers attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, the capital city.

The law enforcement intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.

The justices found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.

At the time, the legal team called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also barred from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.

The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the next presidential race.

Diana Kelley
Diana Kelley

A tech journalist and gadget reviewer with over a decade of experience covering UK innovations and consumer electronics trends.