Bolsonaro taken into custody after being considered a escape threat
Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was found guilty of orchestrating a government overthrow in September and given more than over two decades in jail, but he continued under house arrest pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.
This included seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a demonstration that could facilitate a possible escape.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks
In a document approving the custody, the magistrate said intelligence from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's "intention to break the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His offspring, his son Flávio, who holds office as a legislator, called for a assembly of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so backers could "pray for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the magistrate's decision was the possibility of the former president's move to foreign missions near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of planning to ask for protection through a embassy office", a declaration said.
The court filing underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is located around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist United States President Donald Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
The former president is being kept in a national police facility in Brasilia and will have a custody hearing on the next day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that the former president be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he needed ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
He was found guilty of heading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a scheme which encompassed plans to kill Lula and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The plot was prevented because it couldn't obtain the backing of the army and air force commanders. Lula was sworn in without problem on the first day of 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised official structures in the capital, the capital city.
The law enforcement took action and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.
The justices found that the protesters had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the period, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also banned from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 presidential election.