Jair Bolsonaro taken into custody after being declared a flight risk

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The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was sentenced of orchestrating a government overthrow in last fall and given more than 27 years in jail, but he was staying under confinement pending court reviews.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" came to light.

This included seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could enable a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a document approving the detention, the judge said intelligence from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".

This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his son.

His child, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on last Friday: Will you battle for your country, or watch it all from your phone there on your settee? I call on you to battle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could "pray for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the chance of Bolsonaro's "relocation to foreign missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a background of arranging to seek refuge through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The judicial paperwork highlights that the United States embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.

Worldwide Consequences

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, causing him to implement a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

The former president is being kept in a national police facility in Brasilia and will have a imprisonment assessment on the following day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with tracking devices.

They also asked that the former president be permitted to leave his home for healthcare, saying he required ongoing care for lung conditions and other ailments.

Context of Sentencing

The former president was found guilty of leading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the presidential race 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 VP candidate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been managing the former president's case.

The plot was stopped because it failed to get the support of the military leaders. His successor was took office without incident on the first day of 2023.

But a seven days after, on January 8th, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised official structures in the capital, Brasília.

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

The justices found that the protesters had been provoked by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, reestablish control and bring him back to power.

At the moment, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also banned from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The former president called the court case a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 national vote.

John Miller
John Miller

A digital strategist with over a decade of experience in tech consulting and content creation across European markets.