Bolsonaro taken into custody after being considered a escape threat

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Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.

The ex-president was found guilty of planning a armed takeover in the ninth month and given more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a preventative measure after recent developments emerged.

This included attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a call for a demonstration that could "allow for a possible escape.

Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks

In a document approving the arrest, the judge said information from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his escape.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the protest called by his offspring.

His child, his son Flávio, who works as a senator, called for a assembly of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.

His son wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Will you battle for your country, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your settee? I urge you to battle with us."

He said the gathering would be so followers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the potential of the former president's transfer to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a consular facility", a announcement said.

The court filing underscores that the US embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is positioned around 13km from the former president's residence.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist United States President Donald Trump, prompting him to impose a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

He is being kept in a national police facility in Brasilia and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.

They also asked that he be authorized to leave his home for healthcare, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.

Details of Guilty Verdict

The former president was found guilty of heading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, Lula.

High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which involved plans to assassinate his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the support of the military leaders. His successor was took office without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on 8 January, many his backers stormed and vandalised official structures in the national capital, Brasília.

The security forces intervened and around 1,500 people were detained.

The judges found that the rioters had been provoked by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, restore order and reinstate his authority.

At the moment, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the next presidential race.

Terry Mcmahon
Terry Mcmahon

Urban culture enthusiast and freelance writer with a passion for street art and fashion.