🔗 Share this article

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

The ex-president was convicted of plotting a military coup in September and sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he continued under home detention pending court reviews.

High Court Judge 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 tracking device and a call for a public vigil that could enable a possible escape.

Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said information from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".

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

His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or see it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I urge you to fight with us."

He said the gathering would be so backers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the potential of Bolsonaro's move to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of arranging to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The court filing highlights that the US embassy in the capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist United States President President Trump, prompting him to impose a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

He is being held in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.

They also asked that he be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he required frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Context of Sentencing

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of orchestrating a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the national vote to his ideological adversary, President Lula.

High Court judges said that he was aware of a plot which involved plans to kill his opponent and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over the former president's case.

The scheme was prevented because it didn't receive the backing of the military leaders. Lula was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on January 8th, many his followers stormed and vandalised official structures in the national capital, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.

The justices found that the protesters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to take action, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.

At the period, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also barred from running for public office until 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.

The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the next presidential race.