🔗 Share this article

The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

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

Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a preventative measure after fresh information were revealed.

This involved trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a summons to a public vigil that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his flight.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his child.

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

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone there on your settee? I urge you to fight with us."

He said the gathering would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our country."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the chance of the former president's transfer to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a record of planning to seek refuge through a consular facility", a announcement said.

The court filing emphasizes that the US embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.

Worldwide Consequences

The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist United States President President Trump, causing him to enact a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.

He is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will have a custody hearing on the next day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with digital surveillance.

They also requested that the former president be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he demanded ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

The former president was convicted of heading a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the national vote to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a scheme which encompassed plans to assassinate his opponent and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.

The plot was thwarted because it didn't receive the backing of the armed forces officials. Lula was inaugurated without issue on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on 8 January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged public facilities in the federal district, the capital city.

The police took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.

The magistrates found that the protesters had been encouraged by him whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, restore order and return him to office.

At the time, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also banned from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.

The ex-leader called the trial a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him running in the next presidential race.