🔗 Share this article

Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.

The former head of state was sentenced of planning a government overthrow in September and handed more than 27 years in incarceration, but he was staying under home detention pending appeals.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a safety action after fresh information came to light.

This involved trying to remove his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a filing authorising the custody, the judge said intelligence from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his escape.

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

His offspring, Flávio, who holds office as a senator, called for a meeting of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on Friday: Will you battle for your nation, or see it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I urge you to struggle with us."

He said the gathering would be so supporters could offer prayers for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the judge's ruling was the potential of the former president's transfer to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a history of organizing to request asylum through a embassy office", a announcement said.

The judicial paperwork highlights that the US embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is situated around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

Worldwide Consequences

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist American leader Donald Trump, causing him to impose a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

The former president is being held in a national police facility in the capital and will have a detention review on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be authorized to depart his residence for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

The former president was found guilty of orchestrating a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.

High Court judges said that he was aware of a plan which included plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing the former president's case.

The plot was prevented because it didn't receive the backing of the military leaders. His successor was sworn in without issue on the first day of 2023.

But a week later, on January 8th, many his followers invaded and destroyed public facilities in the capital, the capital city.

The law enforcement stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.

The justices found that the rioters had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, reestablish control and bring him back to power.

At the moment, the legal team called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.

The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him running in the next presidential race.