Jair Bolsonaro detained after being deemed a escape threat
Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The ex-president was sentenced of planning a military coup in September and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under confinement pending appeals.
High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a precautionary step after fresh information came to light.
This encompassed trying to remove his ankle monitor and a invitation to a demonstration that could "allow for a possible escape.
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the detention, the magistrate said data from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his flight.
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the protest called by his child.
His son, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.
The senator wrote on social media on Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your sofa? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's ruling was the potential of his transfer to foreign missions near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a consular facility", a announcement said.
The legal document highlights that the US embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is situated around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.
Global Responses
His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative American leader Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a Federal Police station in the capital and will undergo a custody hearing on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with tracking devices.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be authorized to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he demanded regular treatment for lung conditions and other ailments.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was found guilty of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the national vote to his political opponent, President Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plot which encompassed plans to murder his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The scheme was prevented because it failed to get the endorsement of the armed forces officials. Lula was inaugurated without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, thousands of his backers attacked and damaged official structures in the national capital, Brazil's capital.
The security forces stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.
The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been incited by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to step in, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years after the completion of his term.
The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him competing in the next presidential race.