🔗 Share this article Bolsonaro arrested after being deemed a escape threat The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement. The ex-president was convicted of orchestrating a armed takeover in last fall and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he remained under confinement pending court reviews. Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after "new facts" came to light. This included trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a possible escape. Court Filing Details Escape Concerns In a paperwork permitting the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the former leader's aim to disable the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his escape. This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his offspring. His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend. Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or observe everything from your phone there on your sofa? I invite you to fight with us." He said the vigil would be so backers could "pray for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation." Diplomatic Refuge Fears Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the potential of Bolsonaro's move to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a background of organizing to seek refuge through a embassy office", a announcement said. The court filing underscores that the United States embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is located around 13km from Bolsonaro's home. Global Responses Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist US President Trump, prompting him to impose a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods. The former president is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will experience a detention review on Sunday. Recent Legal Requests It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the High Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring. They also requested that Bolsonaro be permitted to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other ailments. Context of Sentencing He was found guilty of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, President Lula. Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plot which encompassed plans to murder Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings. The scheme was stopped because it failed to get the support of the armed forces officials. His successor was took office without incident on January 1st, 2023. But a seven days after, on 8 January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, Brazil's capital. The law enforcement took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody. The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been provoked by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, reestablish control and reinstate his authority. At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh. He was also barred from running for public office until twenty-sixty - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term. The former president called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 national vote.