Bolsonaro taken into custody after being declared a flight risk

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Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was sentenced of planning a armed takeover in the ninth month and handed more than 27 years in jail, but he was staying under confinement pending appeals.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after fresh information were revealed.

This encompassed trying to remove his tracking device and a call for a supporters' gathering that could enable a chance to flee".

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a paperwork permitting the custody, the magistrate said data from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to secure accomplishment in his flight.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the protest called by his son.

His son, his son Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or watch it all from your phone there on your settee? I urge you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so supporters could "pray for his health and for the return of democracy in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's determination was the potential of Bolsonaro's move to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of planning to request asylum through a embassy office", a announcement said.

The court filing underscores that the US embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist US President President Trump, causing him to impose a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

Bolsonaro is being detained in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will have a detention review on the following day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with digital surveillance.

They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be authorized to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he needed ongoing care for lung conditions and other illnesses.

Context of Sentencing

Bolsonaro was convicted of orchestrating a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the national vote to his political opponent, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plan which encompassed plans to assassinate his opponent and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.

The conspiracy was thwarted because it failed to get the support of the military leaders. The current president was sworn in without problem on the first day of 2023.

But a seven days after, on January 8th, thousands of his followers stormed and vandalised official structures in the capital, the capital city.

The law enforcement stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.

The magistrates found that the protesters had been encouraged by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, restore order and bring him back to power.

At the moment, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also banned from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The former president called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him competing in the next presidential race.

Michael Dean
Michael Dean

A sports journalist and event reviewer with over a decade of experience covering UK venues and entertainment.