Jair Bolsonaro taken into custody after being declared a escape threat
Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.
The one-time leader was convicted of orchestrating a government overthrow in last fall and sentenced more than over two decades in prison, but he was staying under home detention pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.
This involved seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could enable a chance to flee".
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a document approving the detention, the judge said intelligence from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to ensure success in his flight.
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his son.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Will you battle for your country, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your settee? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the vigil would be so supporters could "pray for his health and for the return of democracy in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of organizing to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said.
The legal document emphasizes that the United States embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is located around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.
Global Responses
His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, causing him to impose a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being detained in a national police facility in the capital and will experience a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that the former president be allowed to leave his home for healthcare, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
The former president was convicted of orchestrating a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, President Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which involved plans to assassinate the current president and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.
The scheme was prevented because it failed to get the endorsement of the armed forces officials. The current president was took office without issue on the first day of 2023.
But a following week, on the eighth of January, numerous his followers attacked and damaged public facilities in the capital, Brasília.
The law enforcement took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.
The justices found that the protesters had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, restore order and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from running for public office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him participating in the next presidential race.