Jair Bolsonaro taken into custody after being declared a flight risk

Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The ex-president was sentenced of planning a armed takeover in September and sentenced more than 27 years in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.

Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.

This included seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a summons to a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.

Court Filing Details Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the custody, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the tracking monitor to ensure success in his flight.

This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his son.

His child, Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his backers near his father's house to take place on the weekend.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on the previous day: Will you battle for your nation, or watch it all from your phone there on your sofa? I urge you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so backers could "pray for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the possibility of the former president's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a history of organizing to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.

The legal document highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative United States President President Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.

He is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on the next day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on last Friday 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 petitioned that Bolsonaro be allowed to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he required frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.

Background on Conviction

The former president was determined responsible of leading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the national vote to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which encompassed plans to assassinate his opponent and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been presiding over the former president's case.

The scheme was stopped because it failed to get the support of the army and air force commanders. His successor was sworn in without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, numerous his followers attacked and damaged public facilities in the national capital, Brasília.

The police took action and around 1,500 people were detained.

The justices found that the rioters had been encouraged by him whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, reestablish control and bring him back to power.

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

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

The former president called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 presidential election.