🔗 Share this article The former Brazilian president detained after being considered a escape threat Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement. The one-time leader was sentenced of plotting a military coup in the ninth month and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he was staying under confinement pending appeals. Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" emerged. This encompassed trying to remove his ankle monitor and a summons to a public vigil that could "allow for a chance to flee". Court Filing Details Flight Fears In a document approving the arrest, the judge said data from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the surveillance device to ensure success in his getaway". This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the protest called by his offspring. His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a legislator, called for a gathering of his followers near his father's house to take place on the weekend. Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I call on you to fight with us." He said the vigil would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land." Diplomatic Refuge Fears Part of the judge's ruling was the possibility of the former president's move to embassies near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of planning to request asylum through a consular facility", a statement said. The legal document underscores that the United States embassy in the capital, the capital city, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling. Global Responses His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist US President Trump, leading him to implement a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil. Bolsonaro is being held in a national police facility in the capital and will experience a detention review on the following day. Latest Court Petitions It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with digital surveillance. They also asked that Bolsonaro be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other illnesses. Context of Sentencing Bolsonaro was found guilty of orchestrating a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the national vote to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plan which encompassed plans to kill Lula and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial. The plot was prevented because it failed to get the endorsement of the armed forces officials. His successor was took office without issue on the first day of 2023. But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, thousands of his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the national capital, Brasília. The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained. The magistrates found that the rioters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, bring back stability and return him to office. At the moment, the legal team called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh. He was also barred from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term. The one-time head of state called the trial a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 national vote.