Jair Bolsonaro arrested after being considered a flight risk
Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The ex-president was sentenced of orchestrating a armed takeover in the ninth month and sentenced more than a 27-year term in prison, but he remained under confinement pending appeals.
High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" emerged.
This encompassed seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a call for a public vigil that could "allow for a possible escape.
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the custody, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to secure accomplishment in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his son.
His son, Flávio, who serves as a senator, called for a gathering 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 homeland, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could "pray for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the magistrate's decision was the potential of the former president's move to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a record of arranging to ask for protection through a consular facility", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, the capital city, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative United States President President Trump, prompting him to implement a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will undergo a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that the former president be allowed to depart his residence for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Context of Sentencing
He was convicted of heading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the national vote to his political opponent, President Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a scheme which involved plans to kill Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was prevented because it failed to get the support of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without problem on the first day of 2023.
But a following week, on the eighth of January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, the capital city.
The law enforcement intervened and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been provoked by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, restore order and bring him back to power.
At the time, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from running for public office until the year 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him competing in the next presidential race.