Jair Bolsonaro detained after being declared a flight risk

The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.

The former head of state was found guilty of orchestrating a military coup in last fall and handed more than over two decades in incarceration, but he remained under confinement pending appeals.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a safety action after fresh information emerged.

This included attempting to break his ankle monitor and a summons to a public vigil that could "allow for a potential flight.

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a paperwork permitting the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the tracking monitor to ensure success in his flight.

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

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

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I urge you to struggle with us."

He said the vigil would be so supporters could offer prayers for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the potential of his "relocation to embassies near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of organizing to seek refuge through a embassy office", a declaration said.

The court filing highlights that the US embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is situated around 8 miles from his dwelling.

Global Responses

His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist American leader Trump, leading him to impose a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being held in a Federal Police station in the capital and will have a custody hearing on the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with tracking devices.

They also asked that he be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he demanded ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other ailments.

Context of Sentencing

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the national vote to his ideological adversary, President Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a scheme which involved plans to kill Lula and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The conspiracy was thwarted because it didn't receive the backing of the armed forces officials. The current president was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on January 8th, many his backers attacked and damaged official structures in the national capital, the capital city.

The security forces stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.

The justices found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, reestablish control and return him to office.

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

He was also banned from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years after the end of his sentence.

The ex-leader called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 national vote.