🔗 Share this article

Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.

The one-time leader was sentenced of plotting a armed takeover in last fall and given more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he continued under confinement pending court reviews.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a safety action after recent developments were revealed.

This included trying to remove his ankle monitor and a call for a demonstration that could "allow for a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the detention, Justice Moraes said information from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the protest called by his child.

His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or observe everything from your phone there on your couch? I call on you to fight with us."

He said the vigil would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's transfer to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The court filing emphasizes that the US embassy in the capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative United States President Donald Trump, prompting him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will undergo a custody hearing on the following day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the High Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.

They also asked that he be allowed to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he needed frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.

Details of Guilty Verdict

The former president was found guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the presidential race to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Top judicial officials said that he knew of a scheme which involved plans to kill his opponent and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was prevented because it failed to get the support of the armed forces officials. His successor was took office without issue on January 1st, 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, thousands of his followers attacked and damaged public facilities in the national capital, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.

The magistrates found that the rioters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, bring back stability and bring him back to power.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also barred from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.

The former president called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 presidential election.