The former Brazilian president taken into custody after being deemed a escape threat

placeholder news image

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

The ex-president was convicted of plotting a armed takeover in September and given more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he was staying under confinement pending court reviews.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a preventative measure after recent developments emerged.

This included attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a demonstration that could facilitate a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the detention, the magistrate said data from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his son.

His son, his son Flávio, who serves as a senator, called for a meeting of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

The senator wrote on digital networks on last Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or see it all from your phone there on your sofa? I urge you to battle with us."

He said the gathering would be so backers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the potential of Bolsonaro's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a history of planning to request asylum through a embassy office", a declaration said.

The legal document highlights that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is located around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist US President President Trump, causing him to impose a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.

The former president is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Top Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be allowed to depart his residence for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other ailments.

Details of Guilty Verdict

The former president was convicted of heading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plot which encompassed plans to assassinate his opponent and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing the former president's case.

The scheme was stopped because it didn't receive the endorsement of the armed forces officials. Lula was sworn in without issue on the first day of 2023.

But a week later, on the eighth of January, thousands of his followers attacked and damaged official structures in the national capital, the capital city.

The security forces took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.

The judges found that the protesters had been encouraged by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.

At the moment, the legal team called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The former president called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him participating in the next presidential race.

Barbara Erickson
Barbara Erickson

A mental health advocate and wellness coach with a background in psychology, sharing practical advice for everyday resilience.