🔗 Share this article

Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The ex-president was sentenced of orchestrating a armed takeover in the ninth month and handed more than 27 years in incarceration, but he continued under home detention pending court reviews.

Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" came to light.

This encompassed trying to remove his tracking device and a summons to a demonstration that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the judge said intelligence from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the former leader's aim to disable the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his flight.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his child.

His child, his son Flávio, who serves as a legislator, called for a meeting of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.

The senator wrote on online platforms on Friday: Will you battle for your nation, or see it all from your phone there on your settee? I invite you to battle with us."

He said the gathering would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the return of democracy in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the chance of Bolsonaro's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of arranging to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.

The court filing underscores that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is positioned around 8 miles from the former president's residence.

International Reactions

His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist American leader President Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

He is being kept in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will have a detention review on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with tracking devices.

They also petitioned that he be authorized to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he required regular treatment for lung conditions and other illnesses.

Context of Sentencing

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of heading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plan which included plans to kill Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing the former president's case.

The scheme was prevented because it didn't receive the support of the armed forces officials. Lula was inaugurated without issue on January 1st, 2023.

But a seven days after, on January 8th, many his backers attacked and damaged official structures in the capital, the capital city.

The security forces stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.

The judges found that the rioters had been incited by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, restore order and bring him back to power.

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

He was also prohibited from running for public office until 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The ex-leader called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the next presidential race.