🔗 Share this article Jair Bolsonaro arrested after being considered a escape threat The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest. The one-time leader was found guilty of planning a armed takeover in the ninth month and handed more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals. High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" came to light. This involved attempting to break his ankle monitor and a call for a supporters' gathering that could enable a possible escape. Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks In a paperwork permitting the custody, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's "intention to break the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his getaway". This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his son. His son, his son Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a meeting of his supporters near his father's house to take place on the weekend. His son wrote on social media on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or observe everything from your phone there on your couch? I urge you to battle with us." He said the vigil would be so backers could "pray for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country." Diplomatic Refuge Fears Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the potential of the former president's transfer to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a history of planning to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said. The judicial paperwork highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home. International Reactions His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports. He is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brasilia 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 fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with digital surveillance. They also requested that the former president be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he demanded regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other health problems. Background on Conviction Bolsonaro was convicted of heading a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, President Lula. Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plot which included plans to assassinate Lula and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings. The conspiracy was prevented because it didn't receive the endorsement of the military leaders. The current president was sworn in without incident on 1 January 2023. But a week later, on January 8th, numerous his followers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the federal district, Brazil's capital. The law enforcement took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested. The magistrates found that the rioters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, restore order and reinstate his authority. At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive. He was also barred from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term. The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 presidential election.