Jair Bolsonaro arrested after being considered a risk of fleeing
Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.
The one-time leader was convicted of orchestrating a military coup in September and given more than over two decades in jail, but he remained under confinement pending appeals.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after "new facts" emerged.
This encompassed trying to remove his tracking device and a invitation to a public vigil that could facilitate a potential flight.
Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the arrest, Justice Moraes said data from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His son, his son Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.
His son wrote on online platforms on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's decision was the potential of the former president's transfer to foreign missions near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of arranging to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The court filing underscores that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist American leader President Trump, causing him to enact a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.
He is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will undergo a custody hearing on the next day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also requested that the former president be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other ailments.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was found guilty of heading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a scheme which encompassed plans to kill the current president and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing the former president's case.
The conspiracy was stopped because it failed to get the support of the armed forces officials. His successor was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a following week, on the eighth of January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed public facilities in the federal district, BrasÃlia.
The security forces stepped in and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been provoked by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, reestablish control and return him to office.
At the period, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 national vote.