🔗 Share this article

Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.

The former head of state was found guilty of orchestrating a military coup in the ninth month and sentenced more than a 27-year term in prison, but he remained under home detention pending legal challenges.

Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after fresh information were revealed.

This included trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a call for a public vigil that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the judge said intelligence from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his getaway".

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the protest called by his son.

His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a legislator, called for a assembly of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.

His son wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the gathering would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the chance of his move to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a record of arranging to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The court filing underscores that the United States embassy in the capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.

Worldwide Consequences

His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist United States President President Trump, prompting him to implement a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.

He is being kept in a Federal Police station in the capital and will have a detention review on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be allowed to depart his residence for medical care, saying he demanded ongoing care for lung conditions and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was convicted of heading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plan which included plans to kill the current president and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been managing his judicial proceedings.

The conspiracy was thwarted because it didn't receive the endorsement of the military leaders. Lula was sworn in without issue on the first day of 2023.

But a seven days after, on 8 January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised official structures in the national capital, Brasília.

The police stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.

The judges found that the rioters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to step in, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

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

The one-time head of state called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the next presidential race.