Jair Bolsonaro taken into custody after being deemed a risk of fleeing

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

The former head of state was convicted of planning a armed takeover in the ninth month and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after fresh information came to light.

This involved attempting to break his ankle monitor and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could enable a potential flight.

Court Filing Details Escape Risks

In a paperwork permitting the custody, the judge said intelligence from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.

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

The senator wrote on social media on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or see it all from your phone there on your settee? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the vigil would be so supporters could "pray for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's transfer to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a history of planning to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The judicial paperwork underscores that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is located around 8 miles from the former president's residence.

International Reactions

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

The former president is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will have a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with tracking devices.

They also asked that the former president be authorized to leave his home for healthcare, saying he needed regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other health problems.

Context of Sentencing

The former president was convicted of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the national vote to his political opponent, President Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plot which involved plans to kill Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The conspiracy was prevented because it couldn't obtain the support of the army and air force commanders. His successor was took office without issue on January 1st, 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised government buildings in the federal district, Brasília.

The security forces intervened and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.

The judges found that the protesters had been provoked by him whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, restore order and bring him back to power.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".

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

The ex-leader called the trial a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the next presidential race.

Andrea Blair
Andrea Blair

A blockchain developer and educator with over 8 years of experience in fintech innovation.