Jair Bolsonaro taken into custody after being considered a flight risk

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Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.

The former head of state was found guilty of planning a military coup in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in jail, but he was staying under confinement pending appeals.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a precautionary step after fresh information were revealed.

This included attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a call for a demonstration that could enable a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the detention, the magistrate said data from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to secure accomplishment in his getaway".

This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.

His son, Flávio, who serves as a senator, called for a gathering of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.

The senator wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I call on 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 country."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the judge's decision was the potential of the former president's transfer to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a background of planning to ask for protection through a embassy office", a statement said.

The legal document highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, the capital city, is positioned around 8 miles from his dwelling.

Worldwide Consequences

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist United States President Trump, prompting him to impose a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.

The former president is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will have a custody hearing on the next day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with digital surveillance.

They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be authorized to leave his home for healthcare, saying he needed regular treatment for lung conditions and other health problems.

Context of Sentencing

He was convicted of heading a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which included plans to murder the current president and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. Lula was inaugurated without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised government buildings in the federal district, Brasília.

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

The judges found that the protesters had been provoked by him whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.

At the time, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.

He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.

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

Kathryn Murray
Kathryn Murray

Tech journalist and AI enthusiast with a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and digital transformation.