🔗 Share this article The former Brazilian president detained after being declared a flight risk Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention. The ex-president was sentenced of plotting a government overthrow in last fall and given more than over two decades in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending court reviews. Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" were revealed. This encompassed seeking to disable his tracking device and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a potential flight. Court Filing Details Escape Concerns In a document approving the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight. This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the protest called by his child. His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a senator, called for a assembly of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend. Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your settee? I invite you to fight with us." He said the vigil would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land." Diplomatic Refuge Fears Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the possibility of his "relocation to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a consular facility", a statement said. The court filing underscores that the United States embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is positioned around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home. Global Responses The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist United States President Trump, prompting him to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports. The former president is being held in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will experience a imprisonment assessment on Sunday. Recent Legal Requests It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with tracking devices. 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 He was convicted of heading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the presidential race to his ideological adversary, Lula. Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plan which encompassed plans to kill 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 presiding over the former president's case. The scheme was thwarted because it didn't receive the backing of the army and air force commanders. Lula was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023. But a week later, on January 8th, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged official structures in the capital, the capital city. The police stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody. The judges found that the protesters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to take action, bring back stability and reinstate his authority. At the moment, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive. He was also barred from running for public office until twenty-sixty - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment. The ex-leader called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 national vote.