Jair Bolsonaro arrested after being deemed a flight risk
The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The ex-president was found guilty of plotting a military coup in last fall and handed more than over two decades in incarceration, but he was staying under home detention pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" were revealed.
This encompassed attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a document approving the custody, the judge said intelligence from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's plan to remove the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the protest called by his son.
His offspring, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the possibility of his move to foreign missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a record of arranging to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The legal document underscores that the US embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is located around 8 miles from his dwelling.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist US President Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
He is being held 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 Supreme Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that he be permitted to depart his residence for medical care, saying he demanded ongoing care for lung conditions and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
The former president was found guilty of orchestrating a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Lula.
High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which involved plans to kill Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was prevented because it failed to get the endorsement of the armed forces officials. The current president was took office without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, numerous his followers attacked and damaged government buildings in the capital, the capital city.
The police intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.
The justices found that the rioters had been encouraged by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The former president called the trial a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 presidential election.