The former Brazilian president taken into custody after being declared a flight risk
Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.
The one-time leader was found guilty of plotting a armed takeover in the ninth month and given more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he was staying under confinement pending appeals.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" were revealed.
This involved trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a demonstration that could facilitate a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a document approving the custody, Justice Moraes said information from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the protest called by his offspring.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a senator, called for a meeting of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
The senator wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or observe everything from your phone there on your couch? 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 country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's decision was the potential of the former president's move to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the US embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is located around 13km from his dwelling.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist American leader President Trump, causing him to impose a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being held in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also asked that Bolsonaro be authorized to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he required regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Context of Sentencing
Bolsonaro was found guilty of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, President Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plan which included plans to kill Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was prevented because it failed to get the endorsement of the armed forces officials. The current president was took office without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, thousands of his followers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The law enforcement intervened and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The justices found that the protesters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to step in, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The former president called the court case a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him running in the 2026 presidential election.