The former Brazilian president detained after being deemed a risk of fleeing

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Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was convicted of planning a armed takeover in the ninth month and handed more than 27 years in incarceration, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after recent developments were revealed.

This encompassed trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could enable a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a paperwork permitting the custody, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his getaway".

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

His son, his son Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the potential of his transfer to embassies near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of planning to request asylum through a consular facility", a announcement said.

The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, the capital city, is located around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist American leader Trump, causing him to implement a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.

He is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will have a imprisonment assessment on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also asked that Bolsonaro be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.

Details of Guilty Verdict

He was found guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a scheme which included plans to kill the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.

The plot was stopped because it couldn't obtain the support of the military leaders. Lula was sworn in without problem on the first day of 2023.

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

The law enforcement took action and around 1,500 people were arrested.

The justices found that the rioters had been encouraged by him whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to take action, bring back stability and bring him back to power.

At the time, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

He was also banned from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 presidential election.

Joshua Nguyen
Joshua Nguyen

Elena is a tech enthusiast and UX designer with over a decade of experience in creating user-centered digital solutions.