🔗 Share this article The former Brazilian president taken into custody after being considered a escape threat Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest. The former head of state was found guilty of plotting a armed takeover in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he remained under home detention pending appeals. Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after fresh information came to light. This encompassed attempting to break his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could facilitate a possible escape. Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks In a filing authorising the detention, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his getaway". This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the protest called by his son. His child, Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening. Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your country, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I invite you to struggle with us." He said the gathering would be so backers could offer prayers for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation." Foreign Shelter Risks Part of the magistrate's determination was the possibility of his transfer to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of planning to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said. The legal document underscores that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is positioned around 8 miles from his dwelling. International Reactions His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President Trump, prompting him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil. He is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the next day. Recent Legal Requests It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring. They also requested that the former president be allowed to leave his home for medical care, saying he required regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other illnesses. Background on Conviction He was convicted of heading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plan which involved plans to kill the current president and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings. The plot was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the army and air force commanders. His successor was sworn in without issue on 1 January 2023. But a week later, on the eighth of January, thousands of his followers invaded and destroyed official structures in the national capital, BrasÃlia. The law enforcement intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained. The judges found that the demonstrators had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office. At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh. He was also barred from running for public office until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term. The one-time head of state called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the next presidential race.