🔗 Share this article

Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.

The ex-president was sentenced of orchestrating a government overthrow in last fall and sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he continued under home detention pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" came to light.

This encompassed attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a possible escape.

Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns

In a filing authorising the detention, the magistrate said information from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his flight.

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

His offspring, Flávio, who serves as a senator, called for a meeting of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

His son wrote on digital networks on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your settee? I call on you to fight with us."

He said the demonstration would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our country."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the possibility of the former president's move to embassies near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of arranging to ask for protection through a consular facility", a statement said.

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

Worldwide Consequences

His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist American leader Trump, leading him to enact a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

He is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will have a detention review on the next day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also petitioned that he be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he required regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Context of Sentencing

The former president was convicted of orchestrating a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

High Court judges said that he knew of a plan which included plans to assassinate the current president and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been managing his judicial proceedings.

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

But a seven days after, on January 8th, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised public facilities in the capital, Brasília.

The security forces stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.

The justices found that the demonstrators had been incited by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.

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

He was also prohibited from running for public office until twenty-sixty - eight years after the completion of his term.

The ex-leader called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.