Bolsonaro arrested after being deemed a flight risk
Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.
The former head of state was convicted of plotting a armed takeover in September and handed more than over two decades in incarceration, but he continued under house arrest pending court reviews.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after fresh information came to light.
This included trying to remove his tracking device and a summons to a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the detention, the judge said intelligence from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his son.
His offspring, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.
The senator wrote on digital networks on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or see it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I invite you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's determination was the possibility of his move to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of organizing to request asylum through a embassy office", a statement said.
The court filing emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brasilia, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist American leader Donald Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will have a detention review on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be authorized to depart his residence for medical care, saying he needed ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
The former president was determined responsible of heading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the national vote to his ideological adversary, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a scheme which included plans to murder Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was prevented because it couldn't obtain the support of the armed forces officials. Lula was inaugurated without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, numerous his backers invaded and destroyed official structures in the capital, BrasĂlia.
The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.
The judges found that the demonstrators had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to take action, reestablish control and return him to office.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from running for public office until 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.
The former president called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 national vote.
