🔗 Share this article Jair Bolsonaro detained after being deemed a flight risk Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement. The one-time leader was sentenced of orchestrating a government overthrow in last fall and given more than over two decades in jail, but he was staying under confinement pending appeals. Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a safety action after "new facts" emerged. This encompassed seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a call for a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee". Court Filing Details Escape Concerns In a filing authorising the arrest, Justice Moraes said data from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his flight. This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the protest called by his child. His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a senator, called for a gathering of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night. The senator wrote on social media on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I invite you to battle with us." He said the vigil would be so backers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation." Diplomatic Refuge Fears Part of the judge's ruling was the chance of his transfer to embassies near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a history of organizing to ask for protection through a consular facility", a announcement said. The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home. Worldwide Consequences The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative US President President Trump, prompting him to implement a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil. Bolsonaro is being held in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will undergo a custody hearing on the following day. Recent Legal Requests It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with digital surveillance. They also requested that the former president be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he needed regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other illnesses. Context of Sentencing He was found guilty of orchestrating a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, Lula. Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which involved plans to kill Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings. The plot was thwarted because it failed to get the support of the armed forces officials. The current president was took office without problem on the first day of 2023. But a week later, on the eighth of January, many his backers attacked and damaged official structures in the national capital, the capital city. The security forces stepped in and around 1,500 people were arrested. The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been incited by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to take action, bring back stability and return him to office. At the moment, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh. He was also banned from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term. The former president called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.