Jair Bolsonaro detained after being deemed a flight risk

Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.

The one-time leader was found guilty of plotting a military coup in last fall and handed more than a 27-year term in prison, but he was staying under home detention pending legal challenges.

High Court Judge the presiding justice said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" emerged.

This involved attempting to break his tracking device and a call for a public vigil that could enable a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a filing authorising the custody, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his escape.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his child.

His child, Flávio, who holds office as a legislator, called for a gathering of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.

The senator wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or see it all from your phone there on your sofa? I invite you to battle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's move to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a background of organizing to seek refuge through a embassy office", a statement said.

The judicial paperwork underscores that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is located around 13km from the former president's residence.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist United States President Trump, prompting him to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.

Bolsonaro is being detained in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a custody hearing on Sunday.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with tracking devices.

They also petitioned that the former president be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he demanded regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other ailments.

Context of Sentencing

He was convicted of heading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

High Court judges said that he knew of a scheme which encompassed plans to assassinate his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been managing his judicial proceedings.

The conspiracy was stopped because it couldn't obtain the support of the military leaders. The current president was sworn in without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on 8 January, many his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the federal district, Brazil's capital.

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

The judges found that the demonstrators had been incited by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, bring back stability and bring him back to power.

At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

He was also banned from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.

The ex-leader called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 national vote.