Bolsonaro taken into custody after being declared a risk of fleeing
The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.
The ex-president was sentenced of plotting a military coup in September and handed more than 27 years in incarceration, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.
Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" emerged.
This encompassed attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a call for a public vigil that could facilitate a possible escape.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a paperwork permitting the detention, the judge said intelligence from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's aim to disable the tracking monitor to ensure success in his flight.
This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the protest called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio, who holds office as a legislator, called for a assembly of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.
His son wrote on digital networks on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your couch? I call on you to fight with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the possibility of the former president's move to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The court filing emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brasilia, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
Global Responses
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist United States President Donald Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will undergo a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that he be authorized to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other ailments.
Details of Guilty Verdict
He was convicted of leading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plan which encompassed plans to assassinate his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was thwarted because it failed to get the endorsement of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, thousands of his followers attacked and damaged government buildings in the capital, Brasília.
The security forces intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.
The justices found that the rioters had been provoked by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to take action, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the next presidential race.