🔗 Share this article

Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.

The former head of state was found guilty of plotting a government overthrow in the ninth month and given more than 27 years in jail, but he continued under confinement pending court reviews.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a precautionary step after fresh information were revealed.

This encompassed seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a possible escape.

Court Filing Details Escape Concerns

In a document approving the detention, the judge said intelligence from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to secure accomplishment in his escape.

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

His child, Flávio, who serves as a senator, called for a meeting of his supporters near his father's house to take place on the weekend.

The senator wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I call on you to fight with us."

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

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's move to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of planning to request asylum through a embassy office", a declaration said.

The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is located around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative United States President Trump, causing him to impose a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.

He is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on Sunday.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.

They also petitioned that the former president be permitted to leave his home for healthcare, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other illnesses.

Details of Guilty Verdict

The former president was convicted of leading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the national vote to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Top judicial officials said that he knew of a scheme which encompassed plans to kill Lula and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was stopped because it couldn't obtain the support of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without problem on January 1st, 2023.

But a following week, on the eighth of January, thousands of his followers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the capital, the capital city.

The police intervened and around 1,500 people were detained.

The judges found that the protesters had been provoked by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, restore order and return him to office.

At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.

He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.

The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 national vote.