Jair Bolsonaro detained after being considered a risk of fleeing
Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The former head of state was sentenced of orchestrating a armed takeover in September and given more than over two decades in jail, but he remained under confinement pending appeals.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after fresh information emerged.
This encompassed trying to remove his tracking device and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the detention, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's plan to remove the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his offspring.
His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a legislator, called for a meeting of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
The senator wrote on digital networks on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or see it all from your phone there on your couch? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could "pray for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's determination was the potential of Bolsonaro's move to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of planning to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The legal document underscores that the United States embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is located around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Global Responses
His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, prompting him to impose a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will undergo a detention review on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be permitted to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he needed ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
He was determined responsible of leading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his political opponent, Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a scheme which involved plans to murder his opponent and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.
The conspiracy was stopped because it failed to get the endorsement of the armed forces officials. His successor was sworn in without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised official structures in the national capital, the capital city.
The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.
The judges found that the protesters had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, restore order and reinstate his authority.
At the period, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also barred from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him running in the 2026 presidential election.