Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil, is being held by police due to flight risk

Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil, was apprehended on Saturday following a Supreme Court justice’s concerns about a potential escape related to a planned vigil by his supporters, marking the conclusion of months spent under house arrest as he contests a conviction for plotting a coup.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the detention, stating that the gathering outside Bolsonaro’s home could compromise monitoring and highlighting evidence of tampering with his ankle monitor the previous night, as per a decision reviewed by Reuters.

Lawyers for Bolsonaro have confirmed the detention, stating that the planned vigil was the primary reason for Moraes’ decision and indicating their intention to file a “appropriate appeal”. A representative from the federal police stated that Bolsonaro went through custody intake examinations in Brasilia early on Saturday.

JUDGE HIGHLIGHTS ESCAPE CONCERNS

“The disruption resulting from an unlawful assembly of the convict’s supporters poses a significant threat to the house arrest and other precautionary measures, potentially facilitating his eventual escape,” stated Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes in his ruling issued on Saturday.

The judge referenced evidence indicating that Bolsonaro had earlier contemplated the possibility of seeking asylum at the Argentine embassy in Brasilia. Moraes noted in his decision that one of his sons, federal lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, along with other close allies, has fled Brazil to evade the jurisdiction of the country’s courts.

The Prosecutor General’s Office backed the decision, as indicated in a document reviewed by Reuters.

Bolsonaro’s lawyers expressed that his detention resulted in “deep perplexity,” emphasizing that what was intended as a “prayer vigil” is protected by the Brazilian Constitution under the right to religious freedom.

“While asserting the ‘existence of very serious evidence of a possible escape,’ it remains true that the former president was taken into custody at his residence, equipped with an electronic ankle monitor and under police observation,” they noted.

On Monday, a Supreme Court panel will review Moraes’ decision for confirmation.

The former right-wing leader received a sentence in September of 27 years and three months in prison for orchestrating a coup following his defeat in the 2022 presidential election to leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro emerged as the key figure and primary beneficiary of a plot aimed at obstructing Lula’s inauguration in 2023. Nonetheless, the courts have not yet delivered a conclusive arrest order in that matter, since Bolsonaro has not completed the appeals process.

Bolsonaro has been under house arrest for over 100 days due to violations of precautionary measures in a separate case involving allegations of seeking U.S. interference to stop the criminal case against him.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who shared a cordial relationship with Bolsonaro during their respective terms, has referred to the situation as a “witch hunt”. He implemented sanctions on Moraes, the justice in charge, along with a 50% tariff on U.S. imports of various Brazilian goods, which he started to reduce this month.

“Bolsonaro’s preventive detention adheres closely to the principles of due process,” stated Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann, the highest-ranking cabinet member to address the matter, on X. “Justice Alexandre de Moraes’ ruling is grounded in the genuine threat of flight posed by the leader of the coup organization.”

‘JOIN US IN THE FIGHT’, DECLARES BOLSONARO’S SON

During his house arrest, Bolsonaro was prohibited from accessing social media, yet he welcomed visits from political allies.

Senator Flavio Bolsonaro urged supporters via social media to assemble outside his father’s condominium in Brasilia on Saturday evening.

“I encourage you to join us in the fight,” the senator stated in a video shared online. “Together, with your strength and the strength of the people, we will stand firm and reclaim Brazil.”

After his detention, Bolsonaro was moved to a federal police facility, where he is residing in a 12-square-meter room equipped with a single bed, television, air conditioning, and a private bathroom, as detailed in a description and a video shared by the police.

“Do not lose heart.” Our adversary seeks to instill a sense of desperation in us. He plans to see us respond with dismay. “It’s not over yet,” Eduardo Bolsonaro stated in a video shared on social media.

If Bolsonaro’s appeals do not succeed, his defense will request permission for him to serve his nearly thirty-year sentence under house arrest, referencing various health concerns.

Shortly after the detention, Moraes issued a separate ruling on Friday, rejecting the defense’s request for Bolsonaro to serve his sentence under “humanitarian house arrest.”

The ex-president, who suffered a stab wound to the abdomen at a campaign event in 2018, has undergone multiple hospitalizations and surgeries connected to the incident.

Bolsonaro was previously prohibited from seeking office until 2030 after Brazil’s electoral court determined he had misused his position during his 2022 re-election campaign.