The former Brazilian president detained after being considered a flight risk

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

The former head of state was sentenced of orchestrating a armed takeover in last fall and given more than over two decades in incarceration, but he was staying under home detention pending court reviews.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after fresh information came to light.

This involved attempting to break his ankle monitor and a call for a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns

In a filing authorising the detention, the magistrate said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his escape.

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

His son, his son Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a gathering of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.

His son wrote on online platforms on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I call on you to battle with us."

He said the gathering would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the possibility of the former president's "relocation to embassies near the home, considering that the probes revealed a record of organizing to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The court filing emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist United States President President Trump, prompting him to implement a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.

The former president is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will experience a detention review on the next day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be allowed to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he demanded regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other health problems.

Details of Guilty Verdict

The former president was convicted of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a scheme which included plans to murder the current president and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was prevented because it failed to get the support of the military leaders. The current president was sworn in without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged official structures in the capital, the capital city.

The police took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.

The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, reestablish control and bring him back to power.

At the time, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".

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

The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 presidential election.

Jasmine Paul
Jasmine Paul

Travel enthusiast and hospitality expert with a passion for curating unforgettable experiences.