Bolsonaro taken into custody after being declared a risk of fleeing

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Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The one-time leader was found guilty of orchestrating a armed takeover in the ninth month and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he remained under confinement pending court reviews.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after fresh information came to light.

This included trying to remove his tracking device and a call for a public vigil that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a document approving the detention, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his flight.

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

His offspring, his son Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.

His son wrote on online platforms on Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your couch? I call on you to battle with us."

He said the vigil would be so supporters could "pray for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the potential of his "relocation to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of planning to seek refuge through a embassy office", a declaration said.

The legal document underscores that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.

Worldwide Consequences

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President Donald Trump, leading him to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.

The former president is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a detention review on Sunday.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Top Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with tracking devices.

They also asked that he be permitted to leave his home for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of leading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plan which included plans to kill the current president and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing his judicial proceedings.

The plot was thwarted because it didn't receive the backing of the army and air force commanders. His successor was took office without issue on 1 January 2023.

But a following week, on the eighth of January, numerous his backers attacked and damaged official structures in the national capital, Brazil's capital.

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

The judges found that the demonstrators had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the moment, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.

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

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

Heather Campos
Heather Campos

A political analyst with over a decade of experience in policy research and media commentary, focusing on constitutional governance.