The former Brazilian president arrested after being deemed a flight risk
Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.
The one-time leader was found guilty of plotting a military coup in last fall and handed more than a 27-year term in jail, but he was staying under confinement pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after recent developments were revealed.
This included trying to remove his ankle monitor and a call for a demonstration that could enable a possible escape.
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a document approving the arrest, the judge said intelligence from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the former leader's aim to disable the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his flight.
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the protest called by his offspring.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a senator, called for a gathering of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on digital networks on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or see it all from your phone there on your couch? I call on you to fight with us."
He said the demonstration would be so supporters could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our land."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's determination was the potential of the former president's transfer to embassies near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to request asylum through a embassy office", a statement said.
The court filing underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brasilia, is situated around 8 miles from his dwelling.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist American leader President Trump, prompting him to impose a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being detained in a national police facility in Brasilia and will have a custody hearing on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that he be allowed to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he needed frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Context of Sentencing
Bolsonaro was found guilty of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plot which encompassed plans to assassinate his opponent and his running partner, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The plot was prevented because it didn't receive the backing of the military leaders. His successor was took office without incident on the first day of 2023.
But a following week, on 8 January, thousands of his followers attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, BrasÃlia.
The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.
The judges found that the demonstrators had been provoked by him whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, restore order and bring him back to power.
At the moment, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also banned from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 national vote.
