The former Brazilian president arrested after being considered a escape threat

placeholder news image

Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.

The one-time leader was found guilty of planning a armed takeover in the ninth month and sentenced more than 27 years in incarceration, but he continued under confinement pending court reviews.

Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a preventative measure after recent developments emerged.

This included attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a public vigil that could "allow for a possible escape.

Court Filing Details Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the detention, the judge said intelligence from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his escape.

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

His child, Flávio, who serves as a legislator, called for a assembly of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.

His son wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I urge you to fight with us."

He said the vigil would be so supporters could "pray for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the potential of Bolsonaro's "relocation to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a consular facility", a announcement said.

The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the United States embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is located around 13km from his dwelling.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, causing him to enact a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

He is being held in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will experience a detention review on Sunday.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.

They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be allowed to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he required regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

The former president was convicted of heading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the presidential race to his ideological adversary, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he knew of a scheme which encompassed plans to assassinate Lula and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.

The plot was stopped because it didn't receive the endorsement of the armed forces officials. His successor was took office without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, thousands of his followers invaded and destroyed official structures in the federal district, Brazil's capital.

The police stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.

The justices found that the rioters had been encouraged by him whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the period, the legal team called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

He was also barred from running for public office until 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.

The former president called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 national vote.

Tiffany Lewis
Tiffany Lewis

Interieurontwerper en trendwatcher met een passie voor duurzaam en esthetisch design.