Bolsonaro detained after being deemed a risk of fleeing
Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The ex-president was convicted of orchestrating a government overthrow in September and given more than 27 years in jail, but he continued under house arrest pending legal challenges.
Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the move to detain the elderly politician was a safety action after fresh information came to light.
This encompassed attempting to break his tracking device and a call for a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a document approving the custody, the judge said information from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the protest called by his son.
His child, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone there on your couch? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's decision was the potential of his move to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of planning to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The legal document underscores that the United States embassy in the capital, the capital city, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist American leader President Trump, prompting him to enact a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will have a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that the former president be allowed to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he demanded ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was convicted of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the national vote to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plot which encompassed plans to kill his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was stopped because it didn't receive the backing of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, many his backers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The police intervened and around 1,500 people were detained.
The judges found that the rioters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, reestablish control and return him to office.
At the moment, the legal team called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from campaigning for office 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 aimed at blocking him running in the next presidential race.