The former Brazilian president detained after being declared a risk of fleeing

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

The former head of state was sentenced of plotting a military coup in last fall and sentenced more than a 27-year term in prison, but he remained under confinement pending court reviews.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a safety action after recent developments were revealed.

This included trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a summons to a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.

Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks

In a paperwork permitting the custody, Justice Moraes said data from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the tracking monitor to ensure success in his escape.

This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his child.

His child, his son Flávio, who works as a senator, called for a gathering of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I call on you to fight with us."

He said the demonstration would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's decision was the chance of his "relocation to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a background of organizing to ask for protection through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The legal document underscores that the United States embassy in the capital, the capital city, is situated around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist American leader Trump, prompting him to enact a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.

He is being detained in a Federal Police station in the capital and will have a detention review on Sunday.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with tracking devices.

They also asked that he be allowed to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other health problems.

Details of Guilty Verdict

Bolsonaro was convicted of leading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Lula.

High Court judges said that he knew of a plan which encompassed plans to kill the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was prevented because it failed to get the support of the army and air force commanders. The current president was took office without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed official structures in the capital, the capital city.

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

The magistrates found that the protesters had been encouraged by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, restore order and reinstate his authority.

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

He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.

The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 presidential election.

Paul Jackson
Paul Jackson

A tech journalist and AI researcher passionate about demystifying emerging technologies and their impact on society.