Bolsonaro taken into custody after being declared a flight risk

Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.

The ex-president was found guilty of plotting a military coup in September and handed more than 27 years in incarceration, but he remained under confinement pending appeals.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after "new facts" emerged.

This involved trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could enable a possible escape.

Court Filing Details Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the detention, the judge said data from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.

His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a senator, called for a gathering of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.

The senator wrote on social media on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or watch it all from your phone there on your sofa? I urge you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's determination was the chance of Bolsonaro's move to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a background of arranging to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.

The legal document highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist United States President Trump, prompting him to impose a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

He is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on the following day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.

They also requested that he be permitted to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he demanded ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

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

Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plot which included plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over the former president's case.

The scheme was prevented because it failed to get the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. Lula was sworn in without problem on January 1st, 2023.

But a seven days after, on January 8th, thousands of his backers attacked and damaged public facilities in the national capital, Brasília.

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

The justices found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by him whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, reestablish control and return him to office.

At the moment, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".

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

The one-time head of state called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 national vote.