Jair Bolsonaro taken into custody after being declared a escape threat

The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.

The former head of state was convicted of plotting a armed takeover in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he remained under home detention pending legal challenges.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a preventative measure after recent developments were revealed.

This encompassed trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a demonstration that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Court Filing Details Escape Risks

In a document approving the arrest, the magistrate said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's aim to disable the surveillance device to ensure success in his getaway".

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

His offspring, Flávio, who holds office as a legislator, called for a meeting of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.

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

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

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the judge's decision was the chance of his "relocation to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a history of planning to seek refuge through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The judicial paperwork highlights that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist American leader Trump, prompting him to enact a fifty percent tax on goods coming from Brazil.

He is being held in a national police facility in Brasilia and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the following day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with tracking devices.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he needed regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of heading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Lula.

High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which included plans to assassinate his opponent and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.

The conspiracy was prevented because it couldn't obtain the support of the armed forces officials. The current president was inaugurated without problem on January 1st, 2023.

But a seven days after, on January 8th, numerous his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the federal district, the capital city.

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

The justices found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by him whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to step in, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.

At the period, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.

He was also barred from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.

The one-time head of state called the trial a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 national vote.