Bolsonaro taken into custody after being considered a flight risk
Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The former head of state was found guilty of orchestrating a military coup in the ninth month and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he remained under house arrest pending appeals.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.
This encompassed attempting to break his ankle monitor and a invitation to a public vigil that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the detention, Justice Moraes said data from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to secure accomplishment in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the protest called by his offspring.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on social media on last Friday: Will you battle for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your settee? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so followers could "pray for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's move to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a history of arranging to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The court filing emphasizes that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative US President Trump, prompting him to implement a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
He is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a custody hearing on the next day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also asked that the former president be allowed to leave his home for healthcare, saying he needed ongoing care for lung conditions and other ailments.
Context of Sentencing
He was determined responsible of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 election to his political opponent, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plan which encompassed plans to murder his opponent and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The plot was stopped because it couldn't obtain the backing of the military leaders. The current president was inaugurated without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised public facilities in the federal district, the capital city.
The law enforcement intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The justices found that the rioters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also banned from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the next presidential race.