The former Brazilian president taken into custody after being considered a risk of fleeing

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

The ex-president was sentenced of orchestrating a government overthrow in September and sentenced more than 27 years in incarceration, but he was staying under home detention pending court reviews.

High Court Judge the presiding justice said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after "new facts" emerged.

This included trying to remove his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could facilitate a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns

In a filing authorising the detention, the judge said intelligence from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove 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 child.

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

The senator wrote on digital networks on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or observe everything from your phone there on your sofa? I urge you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the possibility of his transfer to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of arranging to ask for protection through a embassy office", a declaration said.

The court filing emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist United States President Donald Trump, leading him to impose a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.

The former president is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the following day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.

They also asked that Bolsonaro be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he demanded ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was convicted of leading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plot which included plans to kill the current president and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The conspiracy was stopped because it failed to get the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. His successor was sworn in without problem on the first day of 2023.

But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised public facilities in the federal district, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.

The magistrates found that the protesters had been encouraged by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, restore order and reinstate his authority.

At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.

He was also barred from seeking elected position until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The former president called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the next presidential race.

Timothy Harris
Timothy Harris

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in iGaming, specializing in strategy development and industry trends.