Jair Bolsonaro arrested after being considered a risk of fleeing

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

The ex-president was found guilty of orchestrating a military coup in September and sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he was staying under confinement pending legal challenges.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" emerged.

This involved attempting to break his tracking device and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could enable a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a filing authorising the arrest, the judge said information from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the tracking monitor to ensure success in his getaway".

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the protest called by his child.

His child, his son Flávio, who serves as a senator, called for a meeting of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.

The senator wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Will you battle for your country, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your couch? I urge you to fight with us."

He said the demonstration would be so supporters could offer prayers for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the judge's decision was the potential of the former president's transfer to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a history of planning to ask for protection through a consular facility", a announcement said.

The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

Worldwide Consequences

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative United States President President Trump, leading him to impose a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

The former president is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will experience a custody hearing on Sunday.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also petitioned that he be authorized to depart his residence for medical care, saying he required ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.

Details of Guilty Verdict

The former president was found guilty of leading a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a scheme which included plans to assassinate Lula and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was prevented because it failed to get the backing of the army and air force commanders. His successor was inaugurated without incident on the first day of 2023.

But a following week, on the eighth of January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised official structures in the capital, the capital city.

The law enforcement took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.

The justices found that the protesters had been incited by him whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, restore order and return him to office.

At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

He was also banned from running for public office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him running in the next presidential race.

Erika Dunn
Erika Dunn

International business strategist with 15+ years of experience in emerging markets and cross-border trade.