🔗 Share this article Bolsonaro arrested after being considered a flight risk Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest. The one-time leader was convicted of plotting a military coup in September and given more than 27 years in incarceration, but he continued under confinement pending court reviews. High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after "new facts" came to light. This included seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could enable a potential flight. Judicial Records Show Flight Fears In a filing authorising the arrest, the magistrate said data from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his getaway". This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the protest called by his child. His son, Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend. His son wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your settee? I call on you to fight with us." He said the vigil would be so backers could "pray for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our country." Embassy Asylum Concerns Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the chance of his move to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a record of arranging to seek refuge through a consular facility", a announcement said. The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the United States embassy in the capital, the capital city, is positioned around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home. International Reactions The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President President Trump, leading him to impose a fifty percent tax on goods coming from Brazil. The former president is being detained in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will have a custody hearing on the following day. Recent Judicial Appeals It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring. They also requested that the former president be allowed to leave his home for healthcare, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other illnesses. Context of Sentencing The former president was found guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, President Lula. High Court judges said that he knew of a scheme which encompassed plans to kill his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing the former president's case. The scheme was thwarted because it didn't receive the backing of the military leaders. Lula was inaugurated without problem on January 1st, 2023. But a following week, on January 8th, thousands of his backers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the national capital, the capital city. The security forces intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested. The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been incited by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to step in, bring back stability and return him to office. At the moment, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive. He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term. The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 presidential election.