Bolsonaro taken into custody after being considered a risk of fleeing

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The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was found guilty of planning a military coup in the ninth month and handed more than a 27-year term in prison, but he remained under house arrest pending legal challenges.

Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.

This included trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a call for a demonstration that could enable a chance to flee".

Court Filing Details Flight Fears

In a document approving the detention, the judge said information from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his son.

His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a senator, called for a gathering of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.

The senator wrote on online platforms on Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your sofa? I call on you to struggle with us."

He said the vigil would be so supporters could "pray for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the magistrate's decision was the potential of the former president's "relocation to embassies near the home, considering that the probes revealed a record of planning to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.

The legal document underscores that the United States embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is situated around 8 miles from his dwelling.

International Reactions

The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist American leader Donald Trump, leading him to impose a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

Bolsonaro is being held in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will experience a detention review on Sunday.

Recent Judicial Appeals

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

They also asked that the former president be allowed to leave his home for healthcare, saying he demanded regular treatment for lung conditions and other health problems.

Details of Guilty Verdict

The former president was determined responsible of heading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which involved plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been overseeing the former president's case.

The conspiracy was stopped because it couldn't obtain the support of the army and air force commanders. His successor was inaugurated without problem on January 1st, 2023.

But a following week, on the eighth of January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised government buildings in the capital, the capital city.

The security forces intervened and around 1,500 people were arrested.

The magistrates found that the protesters had been provoked by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to step in, restore order and reinstate his authority.

At the moment, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.

He was also barred from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The former president called the court case a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 presidential election.

Joshua Taylor
Joshua Taylor

A digital storyteller and innovation enthusiast, sharing insights on creativity and modern life.