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 concrete flight risk while under house arrest.

The one-time leader was found guilty of orchestrating a armed takeover in the ninth month and given more than over two decades in jail, but he continued under house arrest pending appeals.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a precautionary step after fresh information were revealed.

This involved attempting to break his tracking device and a summons to a public vigil that could facilitate a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the custody, the magistrate said intelligence from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight.

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

His child, Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a assembly of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the gathering would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's decision was the potential of the former president's "relocation to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.

The legal document underscores that the US embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist American leader Trump, causing him to enact 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 undergo a custody hearing on the next day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.

They also petitioned that he be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for lung conditions and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of leading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a scheme which involved plans to kill the current president and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was thwarted because it didn't receive the endorsement of the armed forces officials. Lula was sworn in without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on January 8th, numerous his followers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the national capital, the capital city.

The police stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.

The justices found that the protesters had been encouraged by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.

At the period, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also barred from campaigning for office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the next presidential race.

Teresa Allen PhD
Teresa Allen PhD

A tech journalist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience in analyzing emerging technologies and their impact on business and society.