Jair Bolsonaro taken into custody after being deemed a escape threat

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Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was sentenced of plotting a military coup in the ninth month and given more than a 27-year term in prison, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after fresh information came to light.

This encompassed attempting to break his ankle monitor and a summons to a demonstration that could "allow for a possible escape.

Court Filing Details Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the judge said intelligence from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his flight.

This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the protest called by his child.

His son, his son Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

The senator wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Will you battle for your nation, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your sofa? I urge you to battle with us."

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

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the judge's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's transfer to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a embassy office", a statement said.

The legal document highlights that the United States embassy in the capital, Brazil's capital, is located around 13km from his dwelling.

Worldwide Consequences

His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative American leader President Trump, prompting him to enact a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

Bolsonaro is being held in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a custody hearing on the following day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with tracking devices.

They also asked that Bolsonaro be allowed to depart his residence for medical care, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of leading a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Lula.

High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plan which encompassed plans to murder his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was prevented because it couldn't obtain the backing of the army and air force commanders. The current president was sworn in without problem on January 1st, 2023.

But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised official structures in the federal district, the capital city.

The security forces stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.

The justices found that the rioters had been incited by him whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, restore order and return him to office.

At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the next presidential race.

Cindy Barrett
Cindy Barrett

Tech journalist and cultural critic exploring the intersection of society and technology.