🔗 Share this article

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

The ex-president was found guilty of planning a government overthrow in last fall and handed more than 27 years in jail, but he was staying under confinement pending court reviews.

Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after recent developments were revealed.

This included trying to remove his tracking device and a summons to a demonstration that could facilitate a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a filing authorising the detention, the judge said data from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his flight.

This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.

His offspring, Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a gathering of his backers near his father's house to take place on the weekend.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I urge you to fight with us."

He said the vigil would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's determination was the chance of Bolsonaro's transfer to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a record of arranging to request asylum through a embassy office", a declaration said.

The court filing emphasizes that the US embassy in the capital, the capital city, is positioned around 13km from his dwelling.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist American leader Trump, prompting him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

The former president is being kept in a national police facility in the capital and will experience a custody hearing on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.

They also asked that he be authorized to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he needed ongoing care for lung conditions and other ailments.

Details of Guilty Verdict

The former president was determined responsible of orchestrating a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the national vote to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plot which involved plans to assassinate Lula and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The conspiracy was stopped because it couldn't obtain the backing of the armed forces officials. Lula was sworn in without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on January 8th, many his followers invaded and destroyed official structures in the national capital, Brazil's capital.

The police stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.

The magistrates found that the rioters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to take action, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.

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

He was also barred from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.

The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him competing in the next presidential race.