The former Brazilian president arrested after being considered a escape threat
Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The former head of state was sentenced of orchestrating a military coup in the ninth month and handed more than over two decades in incarceration, but he was staying 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 involved trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could enable a possible escape.
Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns
In a document approving the detention, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the protest called by his child.
His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a senator, called for a meeting of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
His son wrote on digital networks on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or see it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the possibility of the former president's move to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of organizing to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The legal document emphasizes that the US embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is located around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
Global Responses
Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist American leader President Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that Bolsonaro be permitted to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he required frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was determined responsible of orchestrating a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plan which included plans to kill the current president and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The plot was prevented because it couldn't obtain the support of the armed forces officials. Lula was inaugurated without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, numerous his backers invaded and destroyed official structures in the capital, the capital city.
The law enforcement intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also banned from seeking elected position until the year 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 participating in the next presidential race.