The former Brazilian president taken into custody after being declared a risk of fleeing
Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The one-time leader was found guilty of planning a armed takeover in September and given more than a 27-year term in prison, but he remained under confinement pending legal challenges.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a precautionary step after recent developments emerged.
This encompassed attempting to break his ankle monitor and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his offspring.
His offspring, Flรกvio, who works as a senator, called for a gathering of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.
The senator wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your country, or see it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so backers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's determination was the chance of the former president's "relocation to embassies near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a consular facility", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the US embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist United States President President Trump, prompting him to impose a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a custody hearing on the next day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that the former president be permitted to depart his residence for medical care, saying he required regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Context of Sentencing
Bolsonaro was found guilty of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the presidential race to his ideological adversary, President Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plot which included plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.
The conspiracy was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the support of the army and air force commanders. Lula was sworn in without problem on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on the eighth of January, many Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed official structures in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The police took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been incited by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, restore order and return him to office.
At the moment, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him running in the next presidential race.