🔗 Share this article

Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.

The former head of state was convicted of plotting a armed takeover in the ninth month and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he continued under home detention pending court reviews.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a safety action after fresh information came to light.

This included attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a document approving the detention, Justice Moraes said data from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his escape.

This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his son.

His son, his son Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.

His son wrote on social media on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or see it all from your phone there on your couch? I urge you to battle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the judge's decision was the potential of his move to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a background of arranging to request asylum through a embassy office", a announcement said.

The legal document emphasizes that the United States embassy in the capital, the capital city, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative American leader Donald Trump, causing him to enact a fifty percent tax on goods coming from Brazil.

The former president is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on the next day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.

They also asked that he be allowed to depart his residence for medical care, saying he demanded ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other health problems.

Context of Sentencing

He was determined responsible of heading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the presidential race to his ideological adversary, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plan which included plans to kill his opponent and his running partner, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.

The plot was stopped because it failed to get the support of the army and air force commanders. His successor was took office without incident on January 1st, 2023.

But a seven days after, on 8 January, thousands of his followers attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, the capital city.

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

The judges found that the protesters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to take action, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.

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

He was also barred from running for public office until 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him running in the 2026 presidential election.