Bolsonaro detained after being deemed a escape threat

The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.

The former head of state was convicted of plotting a government overthrow in September and sentenced more than 27 years in jail, but he was staying under home detention pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a preventative measure after recent developments came to light.

This encompassed seeking to disable his tracking device and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a potential flight.

Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns

In a document approving the custody, the judge said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.

His child, his son Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a gathering of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.

His son wrote on digital networks on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I urge you to battle with us."

He said the vigil would be so supporters could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's determination was the possibility of his transfer to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a record of arranging to ask for protection through a consular facility", a statement said.

The legal document highlights that the United States embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is positioned around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist United States President Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.

He is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will undergo a custody hearing on the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with tracking devices.

They also requested that he be authorized to leave his home for healthcare, saying he demanded ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other ailments.

Details of Guilty Verdict

He was convicted of orchestrating a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the national vote to his ideological adversary, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a scheme which involved plans to kill Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The scheme was prevented because it couldn't obtain the backing of the army and air force commanders. The current president was inaugurated without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a following week, on January 8th, many his backers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the national capital, Brasília.

The law enforcement intervened and around 1,500 people were detained.

The justices found that the rioters had been incited by him whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, restore order and bring him back to power.

At the moment, the legal team called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also banned from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 national vote.