🔗 Share this article

Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.

The one-time leader was found guilty of plotting a government overthrow in the ninth month and handed more than a 27-year term in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending appeals.

Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" were revealed.

This encompassed trying to remove his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the detention, Justice Moraes said data from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the former leader's plan to remove the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his escape.

This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.

His son, Flávio, who holds office as a senator, called for a gathering of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on last Friday: Will you battle for your country, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I call on you to battle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so backers could "pray for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the judge's decision was the potential of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a record of planning to request asylum through a consular facility", a statement said.

The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the US embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist American leader Trump, causing him to implement a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will experience a detention review on the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with tracking devices.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be authorized to leave his home for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other illnesses.

Context of Sentencing

Bolsonaro was convicted of heading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the national vote to his political opponent, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plot which involved plans to assassinate Lula and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The scheme was stopped because it didn't receive the endorsement of the military leaders. The current president was took office without issue on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on January 8th, thousands of his backers attacked and damaged public facilities in the national capital, the capital city.

The security forces stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.

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

At the moment, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also barred from campaigning for office until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the completion of his term.

The former president called the court case a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 presidential election.