🔗 Share this article

Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.

The one-time leader was sentenced of planning a government overthrow in September and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he was staying under confinement pending appeals.

Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a safety action after recent developments emerged.

This involved attempting to break his ankle monitor and a summons to a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.

Court Filing Details Escape Risks

In a filing authorising the arrest, Justice Moraes said data from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his escape.

This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the protest called by his son.

His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a legislator, called for a meeting of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I call on you to battle with us."

He said the gathering would be so supporters could offer prayers for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's ruling was the chance of the former president's move to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of arranging to ask for protection through a embassy office", a announcement said.

The legal document emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brasilia, is positioned around 8 miles from his dwelling.

Global Responses

The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist American leader Trump, leading him to implement a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.

The former president is being held in a national police facility in Brasilia and will undergo a detention review on Sunday.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.

They also asked that he be authorized to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.

Context of Sentencing

The former president was determined responsible of leading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority 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 scheme which included plans to assassinate Lula and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.

The conspiracy was prevented because it didn't receive the backing of the military leaders. The current president was sworn in without problem on January 1st, 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, numerous his followers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the capital, Brazil's capital.

The police stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.

The judges found that the protesters had been encouraged by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.

He was also banned from running for public office until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.

The former president called the court case a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 national vote.