The former Brazilian president arrested after being deemed a escape threat

The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.

The one-time leader was sentenced of plotting a military coup in September and sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after recent developments came to light.

This involved attempting to break his ankle monitor and a summons to a demonstration that could facilitate a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a document approving the detention, Justice Moraes said data from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's plan to remove the surveillance device to ensure success in his escape.

This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his child.

His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a legislator, called for a gathering of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.

His son wrote on digital networks on Friday: Will you battle for your country, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your settee? I call on you to struggle with us."

He said the gathering would be so supporters could "pray for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's determination was the potential of the former president's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a record of organizing to ask for protection through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The legal document underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, the capital city, is located around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist United States President Donald Trump, prompting him to enact a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being held in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a detention review on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.

They also asked that he be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he demanded regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

He was determined responsible of orchestrating a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his political opponent, Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plan which included plans to kill Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was prevented because it failed to get the support of the armed forces officials. The current president was took office without incident on the first day of 2023.

But a following week, on January 8th, many his followers attacked and damaged official structures in the capital, the capital city.

The police took action 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 national armed forces to take action, bring back stability and bring him back to power.

At the period, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.

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

The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him participating in the next presidential race.