🔗 Share this article

Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.

The one-time leader was convicted of plotting a military coup in September and given more than 27 years in prison, but he remained under home detention pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" were revealed.

This encompassed trying to remove his ankle monitor and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the custody, the magistrate said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.

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

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I invite you to fight with us."

He said the demonstration would be so supporters could offer prayers for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's determination was the chance of Bolsonaro's move to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a record of planning to seek refuge through a consular facility", a statement said.

The court filing underscores that the US embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.

Worldwide Consequences

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist United States President Donald Trump, leading him to enact a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the next day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the High Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.

They also asked that Bolsonaro be allowed to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he needed regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

He was found guilty of orchestrating a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plan which involved plans to kill Lula and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was prevented because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the armed forces officials. Lula was sworn in without issue on the first day of 2023.

But a seven days after, on January 8th, numerous his followers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the capital, Brasília.

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

The justices found that the protesters had been provoked by him whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, restore order and return him to office.

At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also banned from running for public office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.

The one-time head of state called the court case a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 national vote.