The former Brazilian president taken into custody after being considered a risk of fleeing

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

The one-time leader was found guilty of plotting a military coup in September 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 decision to arrest the elderly politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.

This encompassed trying to remove his tracking device and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a filing authorising the detention, Justice Moraes said data from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his escape.

This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the protest called by his offspring.

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

His son wrote on digital networks on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone there on your settee? I call on you to battle with us."

He said the gathering would be so backers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the chance of the former president's transfer to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of planning to seek refuge through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The legal document highlights that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 13km from his dwelling.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative United States President Donald Trump, prompting him to implement a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

The former president is being held in a national police facility in the capital and will experience a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with tracking devices.

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

Details of Guilty Verdict

He was found guilty of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plan which involved plans to murder his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing his judicial proceedings.

The conspiracy was thwarted because it failed to get the backing of the military leaders. The current president was inaugurated without issue on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on the eighth of January, numerous his followers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the federal district, Brazil's capital.

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

The judges found that the rioters had been provoked by him whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the period, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also banned from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The ex-leader called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 national vote.

Heather Gutierrez
Heather Gutierrez

A passionate urban runner and writer sharing city running adventures and tips from Amsterdam.