🔗 Share this article Jair Bolsonaro arrested after being deemed a escape threat Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest. The one-time leader was found guilty of planning a government overthrow in last fall and handed more than 27 years in incarceration, but he remained under house arrest pending court reviews. Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a preventative measure after recent developments were revealed. This involved attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could enable a possible escape. Judicial Records Show Escape Risks In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said information from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his flight. This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his offspring. His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend. Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your settee? I invite you to fight with us." He said the vigil would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation." Embassy Asylum Concerns Part of the magistrate's decision was the chance of Bolsonaro's move to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a history of arranging to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a statement said. The legal document underscores that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is located around 13km from Bolsonaro's home. Global Responses His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist American leader Donald Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil. He is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will have a imprisonment assessment on the next day. Recent Judicial Appeals It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with digital surveillance. They also requested that Bolsonaro be permitted to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other illnesses. Details of Guilty Verdict Bolsonaro was convicted of leading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a scheme which included plans to kill the current president and his running partner, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial. The plot was prevented because it failed to get the backing of the armed forces officials. Lula was inaugurated without incident on January 1st, 2023. But a following week, on January 8th, thousands of his followers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the federal district, Brazil's capital. The police stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained. The magistrates found that the rioters had been encouraged by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, bring back stability and reinstate his authority. At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive. He was also barred from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment. The former president called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 national vote.