Bolsonaro taken into custody after being deemed a risk of fleeing

Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The one-time leader was found guilty of orchestrating a government overthrow in last fall and given more than over two decades in incarceration, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after "new facts" emerged.

This encompassed seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a call for a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said data from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the surveillance device to ensure success in his getaway".

This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his child.

His offspring, his son Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.

His son wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Will you battle for your nation, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I urge you to fight with us."

He said the vigil would be so followers could "pray for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's ruling was the potential of Bolsonaro's move to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a history of arranging to request asylum through a embassy office", a statement said.

The legal document highlights that the US embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist American leader Donald Trump, leading him to impose a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

Bolsonaro is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will have a imprisonment assessment on the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

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

They also asked that he be allowed to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he demanded regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

He was convicted of heading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plot which included plans to murder Lula and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing the former president's case.

The scheme was prevented because it failed to get the support of the army and air force commanders. Lula was inaugurated without incident on the first day of 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed government buildings in the national capital, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement took action and around 1,500 people were detained.

The judges found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by him whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, restore order and return him to office.

At the moment, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.

He was also barred from campaigning for office until twenty-sixty - eight years after the end of his sentence.

The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.