Jair Bolsonaro taken into custody after being deemed a flight risk

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Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was convicted of planning a military coup in last fall and handed more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he remained under house arrest pending court reviews.

Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" were revealed.

This included attempting to break his ankle monitor and a summons to a demonstration that could facilitate a potential flight.

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said data from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the tracking monitor to ensure success in his getaway".

This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the protest called by his child.

His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a senator, called for a assembly of his supporters near his father's house to take place on the weekend.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your smartphone there on your settee? I call on you to struggle with us."

He said the vigil would be so backers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of the former president's transfer to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a record of organizing to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The judicial paperwork highlights that the United States embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is located around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist American leader Donald Trump, prompting him to enact a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.

Bolsonaro is being held in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a custody hearing on Sunday.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term 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 ailments.

Details of Guilty Verdict

Bolsonaro was found guilty of orchestrating a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the presidential race to his political opponent, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plot which included plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The conspiracy was thwarted because it didn't receive the backing of the military leaders. Lula was inaugurated without issue on the first day of 2023.

But a following week, on January 8th, many his followers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the national capital, the capital city.

The police intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.

The justices found that the demonstrators had been provoked by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, restore order and bring him back to power.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.

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

The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the next presidential race.

Hunter Medina
Hunter Medina

Marlon Vance is a seasoned gambling analyst with over a decade of experience in reviewing online casinos and slot games.