The former Brazilian president detained after being declared a flight risk

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Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.

The former head of state was convicted of planning a government overthrow in the ninth month and handed more than 27 years in jail, but he remained under house arrest pending appeals.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after fresh information emerged.

This included seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a public vigil that could facilitate a chance to flee".

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a document approving the arrest, the magistrate said data from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to secure accomplishment in his escape.

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

His son, his son Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.

His son wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the gathering would be so supporters could offer prayers for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the chance of Bolsonaro's transfer to foreign missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a history of organizing to ask for protection through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The court filing emphasizes that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is situated around 13km from the former president's residence.

Global Responses

His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist American leader President Trump, prompting him to enact a fifty percent tax on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being held in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.

They also requested that the former president be authorized to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he needed regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Details of Guilty Verdict

Bolsonaro was convicted of heading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the presidential race to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plot which involved plans to murder Lula and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing the former president's case.

The scheme was stopped because it didn't receive the backing of the army and air force commanders. The current president was took office without issue on the first day of 2023.

But a seven days after, on January 8th, many his backers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the national capital, the capital city.

The police intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.

The magistrates found that the rioters had been provoked by him whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the moment, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The ex-leader called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 national vote.

Ashley Owen
Ashley Owen

A passionate sports journalist with over a decade of experience covering local Sicilian teams and events.