🔗 Share this article

Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.

The ex-president was convicted of orchestrating a military coup in the ninth month and given more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he continued under house arrest pending legal challenges.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after fresh information emerged.

This included trying to remove his tracking device and a invitation to a demonstration that could enable a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns

In a document approving the custody, the judge said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his escape.

This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his child.

His offspring, his son Flávio, who serves as a legislator, called for a assembly of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

The senator wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your country, or see it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I invite you to battle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a history of organizing to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The legal document emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brasilia, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative United States President Trump, prompting him to implement a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

The former president is being held in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will experience a detention review on Sunday.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.

They also asked that the former president be authorized to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other ailments.

Context of Sentencing

He was determined responsible of leading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plot which involved plans to assassinate his opponent and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing the former president's case.

The scheme was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. His successor was took office without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on January 8th, many Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed government buildings in the federal district, Brasília.

The security forces stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.

The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been provoked by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the period, the legal team called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.

The former president called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 presidential election.