Bolsonaro taken into custody after being declared a risk of fleeing

Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.

The one-time leader was convicted of orchestrating a government overthrow in September and handed more than a 27-year term in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending court reviews.

Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" came to light.

This involved seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the custody, the judge said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his escape.

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

His offspring, Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or see it all from your phone there on your couch? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could offer prayers for his health and for the return of democracy in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's determination was the potential of the former president's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of organizing to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.

The judicial paperwork highlights that the United States embassy in the capital, Brazil's capital, is located around 13km from his dwelling.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist US President Trump, leading him to enact a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

The former president is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with tracking devices.

They also asked that the former president be authorized to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he required frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

He was determined responsible of leading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the national vote to his political opponent, Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plan which included plans to kill the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.

The conspiracy was prevented because it couldn't obtain the support of the army and air force commanders. His successor was sworn in without issue on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on January 8th, thousands of his backers attacked and damaged government buildings in the capital, the capital city.

The law enforcement intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.

The judges found that the rioters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, reestablish control and bring him back to power.

At the time, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also banned from seeking elected position until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 national vote.