Bolsonaro taken into custody after being declared a escape threat

Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was sentenced of plotting a military coup in September and given more than 27 years in incarceration, but he continued under home detention pending appeals.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after fresh information were revealed.

This included attempting to break his tracking device and a invitation to a public vigil that could facilitate a potential flight.

Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks

In a document approving the custody, Justice Moraes said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's "intention to break the tracking monitor to ensure success in his getaway".

This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the protest called by his offspring.

His child, his son Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a assembly of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or see it all from your phone there on your sofa? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the gathering would be so followers could offer prayers for his health and for the return of democracy in our land."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's determination was the chance of his transfer to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of planning to seek refuge through a consular facility", a announcement said.

The court filing underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, the capital city, is positioned around 8 miles from his dwelling.

International Reactions

The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist American leader Donald Trump, causing him to impose a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will experience a custody hearing on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.

They also asked that he be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other illnesses.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of leading a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.

High Court judges said that he was aware of a scheme which included plans to kill Lula and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was thwarted because it failed to get the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. His successor was sworn in without issue on January 1st, 2023.

But a week later, on the eighth of January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged government buildings in the national capital, Brasília.

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

The judges found that the protesters had been provoked by him whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also banned from running for public office until 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 presidential election.