Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil, has been taken into custody after being declared a “concrete flight risk” while under house arrest. This decision follows his conviction for plotting a military coup in September, for which he was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison. Despite his conviction, he remains under house arrest as he appeals the sentence.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes indicated that the decision for Bolsonaro’s detention was based on new evidence. This includes attempts by Bolsonaro to disable his electronic ankle monitor and a planned public gathering that could potentially allow for an escape. The court filing referenced information from the monitoring center that suggested Bolsonaro intended to break the ankle bracelet, with plans facilitated by a demonstration called by his son, Flávio Bolsonaro, a serving senator.
Flávio Bolsonaro publicly invited supporters to a gathering near his father’s home to pray for Bolsonaro’s health and for democracy in Brazil. The court noted concerns regarding the possibility of Bolsonaro relocating to nearby embassies, as investigations revealed intentions to seek asylum.
Additionally, Bolsonaro’s legal team recently requested that he be allowed to serve his sentence under house arrest permanently, as well as permission to leave for medical treatment for ongoing health issues. His conviction involved a conspiracy to maintain power after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, which included plans to assassinate political opponents.
Following his conviction, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasília on January 8, 2023. Justice Moraes noted that this unrest was fueled by Bolsonaro’s incitements, aiming to restore him to power through military intervention. Bolsonaro’s lawyers criticized the 27-year sentence as excessively harsh, while he himself has claimed the legal actions against him are politically motivated to hinder his potential candidacy in future elections. He is currently being held at a Federal Police station in Brasília, with a custody hearing scheduled for Sunday.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8qdm5zg10o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss