Jair Bolsonaro detained after being deemed a risk of fleeing

placeholder news image

Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.

The ex-president was sentenced of orchestrating a government overthrow in the ninth month and handed more than over two decades in incarceration, but he was staying under home detention pending appeals.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after recent developments were revealed.

This encompassed seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a summons to a demonstration that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said information from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the protest called by his child.

His child, his son Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or see it all from your phone there on your settee? I call on you to struggle with us."

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

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the potential of the former president's move to embassies near the home, considering that the probes revealed a record of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The legal document emphasizes that the US embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is located around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist United States President Trump, causing him to implement a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.

The former president is being detained in a Federal Police station in the capital and will experience a custody hearing on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with tracking devices.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be permitted to leave his home for healthcare, saying he needed ongoing care for lung conditions and other health problems.

Context of Sentencing

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of leading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he knew of a scheme which encompassed plans to murder his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing the former president's case.

The conspiracy was stopped because it didn't receive the backing of the military leaders. The current president was sworn in without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed official structures in the capital, Brasília.

The police intervened and around 1,500 people were detained.

The judges found that the protesters had been encouraged by him whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to take action, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the end of his sentence.

The one-time head of state called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him competing in the next presidential race.

Wendy Clark
Wendy Clark

A seasoned travel writer and cultural anthropologist with over a decade of experience exploring remote destinations and documenting unique traditions.