Jair Bolsonaro detained after being declared a flight risk

Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.

The former head of state was sentenced of orchestrating a armed takeover in last fall and given more than a 27-year term in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending appeals.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after recent developments emerged.

This included attempting to break his ankle monitor and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could enable a possible escape.

Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the detention, Justice Moraes said information from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the former leader's aim to disable the surveillance device to ensure success in his getaway".

This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his child.

His offspring, his son 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 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 settee? I urge you to battle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could "pray for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the chance of Bolsonaro's move to embassies near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a record of arranging to ask for protection through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The judicial paperwork underscores that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist American leader Donald Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.

The former president is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will experience a custody hearing on Sunday.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with digital surveillance.

They also requested that he be allowed to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he required regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

He was convicted of orchestrating a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plot which included plans to assassinate the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.

The plot was stopped because it didn't receive the backing of the military leaders. His successor was sworn in without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, thousands of his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the national capital, Brazil's capital.

The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were detained.

The judges found that the demonstrators had been provoked by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, restore order and reinstate his authority.

At the period, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.

The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 presidential election.