Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities deemed him a “concrete flight risk” while he was already under house arrest.
The former Brazilian president, a figure on the right-wing of the political spectrum, was convicted in September of orchestrating a military coup. He received a sentence exceeding 27 years in prison, although he has remained under house arrest pending the outcome of appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes stated that the decision to detain the 70-year-old was a preventative measure, precipitated by the emergence of “new facts.”
Bolsonaro has acknowledged attempting to tamper with his ankle monitor using a soldering iron, but denied any intention to remove it. Court officials, however, have suggested that he intended to use a planned rally outside his residence as a pretext for escape.
In the warrant authorizing the arrest, Justice Moraes cited information from the monitoring center tracking Bolsonaro’s house arrest, indicating the former president’s “intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his escape.”
The warrant asserted that this escape would be “facilitated by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.”
Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president’s son, had called for a gathering of supporters near his father’s home on Saturday night.
The senator posted on social media Friday, asking: “Are you going to fight for your country, or watch it all from your phone there on your sofa? I invite you to fight with us.”
He characterized the vigil as an opportunity for supporters to “pray for his health and for the return of democracy in our country.”
Justice Moraes further explained his decision by citing the potential for Bolsonaro to seek refuge in foreign embassies, pointing to “a history of planning to request asylum through a diplomatic representation.”
The court documents highlighted the proximity of the US embassy in Brasilia, located roughly 13 kilometers (8 miles) from Bolsonaro’s residence.
Bolsonaro’s legal troubles have incited criticism from figures such as former US President Donald Trump, a fellow right-wing populist, who has imposed a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro is currently detained at a police station in Brasilia and is scheduled to undergo a custody hearing on Sunday.
Prior to his most recent arrest, Bolsonaro’s legal team had submitted a request to the Supreme Court on Friday, seeking permission for him to serve his full sentence under house arrest with electronic monitoring.
They also requested permission for Bolsonaro to leave his residence for medical treatment, citing his need for ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other medical conditions.
Bolsonaro was found guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his grip on power after he was defeated in the 2022 election by his left-wing opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Supreme Court Justices determined that he was aware of a plot that included plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, as well as to arrest and execute Moraes, who had been overseeing Bolsonaro’s trial.
The conspiracy ultimately failed due to lack of support from the army and air force commanders. Lula was inaugurated without incident on January 1, 2023.
However, on January 8, thousands of Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed government buildings in Brasília. Security forces intervened, resulting in the arrest of approximately 1,500 individuals.
The justices concluded that the rioters had been incited by Bolsonaro, whose plan, they alleged, was to prompt military intervention and restore him to power.
At the time, Bolsonaro’s legal representatives characterized the 27-year and three-month sentence as “absurdly excessive.”
He was also barred from holding public office until 2060, eight years after the conclusion of his sentence.
The former president has labeled the trial a “witch hunt” and asserted that it was designed to prevent him from running in the 2026 presidential election.
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