Jair Bolsonaro arrested after being declared a risk of fleeing

Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The one-time leader was convicted of plotting a government overthrow in the ninth month and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he continued under confinement pending appeals.

High Court Judge the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after "new facts" came to light.

This encompassed attempting to break his tracking device and a summons to a demonstration that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a filing authorising the arrest, the magistrate said data from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his flight.

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

His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.

His son wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or observe everything from your phone there on your settee? I call on you to fight with us."

He said the gathering would be so followers could offer prayers for his health and for the return of democracy in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's ruling was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a background of planning to request asylum through a consular facility", a statement said.

The legal document underscores that the US embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is positioned around 13km from his dwelling.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist American leader President Trump, leading him to impose a fifty percent tax on goods coming from Brazil.

The former president is being held in a Federal Police station in the capital and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the following day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.

They also asked that the former president be authorized to depart his residence for medical care, saying he demanded regular treatment for lung conditions and other illnesses.

Details of Guilty Verdict

Bolsonaro was found guilty of leading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.

High Court judges said that he knew of a plan which encompassed plans to murder Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was thwarted because it failed to get the support of the military leaders. Lula was took office without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on January 8th, thousands of his backers invaded and destroyed public facilities in the federal district, the capital city.

The law enforcement stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.

The justices found that the protesters had been provoked by him whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the time, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.

He was also banned from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.

The former president called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him running in the 2026 national vote.