🔗 Share this article Bolsonaro arrested after being considered a escape threat The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention. The former head of state was convicted of orchestrating a military coup in September and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he remained under house arrest pending appeals. Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" were revealed. This encompassed seeking to disable his tracking device and a call for a demonstration that could facilitate a chance to flee". Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears In a document approving the custody, the magistrate said intelligence from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the tracking monitor to ensure success in his escape. This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the protest called by his son. His child, Flávio, who works as a senator, called for a gathering of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend. His son wrote on online platforms on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I invite you to battle with us." He said the gathering would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country." Foreign Shelter Risks Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the potential of his transfer to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a consular facility", a declaration said. The judicial paperwork underscores that the US embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence. International Reactions Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist US President Trump, leading him to implement a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports. Bolsonaro is being detained in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will experience a detention review on the next day. Recent Legal Requests It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with tracking devices. They also asked that the former president be allowed to depart his residence for medical care, saying he required ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other health problems. Background on Conviction The former president was determined responsible of heading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plot which involved plans to kill the current president and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial. The scheme was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the armed forces officials. His successor was took office without issue on 1 January 2023. But a week later, on 8 January, thousands of his backers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the national capital, Brasília. The security forces stepped in and around 1,500 people were arrested. The judges found that the protesters had been incited by him whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office. At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe". He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment. The ex-leader called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 presidential election.