Jair Bolsonaro detained after being declared a flight risk

Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.

The ex-president was convicted of orchestrating a military coup in the ninth month and sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he continued under home detention pending court reviews.

High Court Judge the presiding justice said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a precautionary step after recent developments came to light.

This involved trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a document approving the detention, Justice Moraes said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight.

This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his offspring.

His son, Flávio, who works as a senator, called for a gathering of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.

The senator wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Will you battle for your nation, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your settee? I invite you to battle with us."

He said the vigil would be so backers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the potential of Bolsonaro's "relocation to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of arranging to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The legal document emphasizes that the United States embassy in the capital, the capital city, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.

International Reactions

The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative United States President Trump, prompting him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

He is being held 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 the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be permitted to leave his home for medical care, saying he required regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.

Context of Sentencing

Bolsonaro was convicted of heading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plan which involved plans to murder his opponent and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over the former president's case.

The plot was thwarted because it failed to get the support of the army and air force commanders. The current president was took office without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on the eighth of January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, Brasília.

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

The justices found that the demonstrators had been incited by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, restore order and reinstate his authority.

At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".

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

The ex-leader called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 presidential election.