The former Brazilian president arrested after being deemed a escape threat

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The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.

The one-time leader was sentenced of planning a government overthrow in the ninth month and handed more than 27 years in jail, but he was staying under home detention pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after fresh information were revealed.

This involved attempting to break his ankle monitor and a invitation to a demonstration that could facilitate a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a filing authorising the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".

This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his child.

His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.

His son wrote on online platforms on Friday: Will you battle for your nation, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your sofa? I call on you to fight with us."

He said the vigil would be so backers could "pray for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the potential of the former president's move to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a history of planning to ask for protection through a consular facility", a announcement said.

The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President Trump, leading him to implement a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being kept in a national police facility in the capital and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Top Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with tracking devices.

They also asked that Bolsonaro be allowed to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.

Context of Sentencing

He was convicted of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plot which included plans to kill his opponent and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been managing the former president's case.

The conspiracy was prevented because it failed to get the backing of the army and air force commanders. Lula was inaugurated without issue on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged public facilities in the national capital, the capital city.

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

The judges found that the protesters had been provoked by him whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, reestablish control and return him to office.

At the time, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

He was also barred from running for public office until twenty-sixty - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.

The ex-leader called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 presidential election.

Jose Huynh
Jose Huynh

A technology strategist with over a decade of experience in digital innovation and business transformation, passionate about making tech accessible.