Bolsonaro arrested after being declared a flight risk
The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The former head of state was convicted of planning a military coup in last fall and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he continued under confinement pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after recent developments emerged.
This encompassed trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a call for a demonstration that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said information from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his offspring.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a senator, called for a gathering of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
His son wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's determination was the possibility of his "relocation to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of planning to request asylum through a consular facility", a announcement said.
The court filing underscores that the US embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative American leader Donald Trump, prompting him to impose a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
Bolsonaro is being held in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will experience a detention review on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also petitioned that he be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he required ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of orchestrating a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the national vote to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plan which included plans to murder the current president 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 managing Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was thwarted because it failed to get the backing of the military leaders. His successor was sworn in without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on the eighth of January, many his followers attacked and damaged official structures in the national capital, the capital city.
The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to take action, reestablish control and return him to office.
At the time, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from running for public office until the year 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him participating in the next presidential race.