Bolsonaro taken into custody after being considered a risk of fleeing
The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.
The former head of state was convicted of orchestrating a armed takeover in the ninth month and given more than 27 years in jail, but he continued under house arrest pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after recent developments emerged.
This involved trying to remove his tracking device and a call for a demonstration that could "allow for a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the detention, Justice Moraes said information from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.
His child, his son Flávio, 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 digital networks on last Friday: Will you battle for your nation, or see it all from your phone there on your couch? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could "pray for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's determination was the chance of Bolsonaro's transfer to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The court filing highlights that the US embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist United States President Donald Trump, prompting him to implement a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.
Bolsonaro is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also petitioned that the former president be allowed to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he needed ongoing care for lung conditions and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
The former president was convicted of heading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plan which included plans to assassinate the current president and his running partner, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the backing of the army and air force commanders. His successor was took office without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised public facilities in the national capital, Brazil's capital.
The police took action and around 1,500 people were detained.
The justices found that the protesters had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, restore order and return him to office.
At the period, the legal team called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The former president called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him competing in the next presidential race.