Bolsonaro taken into custody after being declared a flight risk
The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The former head of state was convicted of orchestrating a armed takeover in September and sentenced more than a 27-year term in prison, but he was staying under home detention pending legal challenges.
High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after "new facts" emerged.
This involved attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a call for a public vigil that could enable a possible escape.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a document approving the custody, the judge said intelligence from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the protest called by his son.
His child, Flávio, who works 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 online platforms on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the demonstration would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our land."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the magistrate's ruling was the potential of his transfer to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of planning to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The court filing underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, the capital city, is positioned around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Global Responses
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist American leader Trump, prompting him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
Bolsonaro is being held in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will experience a custody hearing on the next day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he required regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.
Context of Sentencing
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of heading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the national vote to his ideological adversary, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plot which involved plans to assassinate the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The plot was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the support of the army and air force commanders. His successor was took office without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, numerous his followers invaded and destroyed official structures in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The law enforcement intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been provoked by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the time, the legal team called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 presidential election.