Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was taken into custody by federal police on Saturday, interrupting his period of house arrest while he appealed a Supreme Court conviction for conspiracy. Bolsonaro’s lawyer, Celso Vilardi, confirmed the detention without providing a specific reason. A federal police representative mentioned that Bolsonaro underwent intake procedures in Brasilia on Saturday morning.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Bolsonaro’s detention due to concerns that his supporters’ gathering near his residence could obstruct police supervision of his house arrest. Moraes also pointed out evidence of tampering with Bolsonaro’s ankle monitor the previous night.
“The disorder resulting from an unlawful assembly of the convict’s supporters poses a significant risk to his house arrest and other precautionary measures, potentially facilitating his escape,” stated Moraes in his detention order on Saturday.
The judge referenced information suggesting Bolsonaro had contemplated seeking asylum at the Argentine Embassy in Brasilia. Additionally, Moraes highlighted that one of Bolsonaro’s sons and other close associates had fled Brazil to evade legal consequences.
Another attorney representing Bolsonaro declined to provide immediate comments on the court’s decision. Bolsonaro, a right-wing former leader, was sentenced in September to over 27 years in prison for his involvement in a coup plot following his defeat in the 2022 election to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Bolsonaro was identified as the mastermind of a scheme aimed at preventing Lula from assuming office in 2023. Despite this, no final arrest warrant has been issued in that case as Bolsonaro has yet to exhaust the appeals process.
Under strict house arrest for more than 100 days for breaching precautionary measures in a separate case related to allegedly seeking U.S. intervention to stop his criminal trial, Bolsonaro was prohibited from using social media but received visits from political allies.
Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, his son, urged supporters via social media to assemble outside his father’s residence in Brasilia on Saturday evening, rallying them to “fight back and rescue Brazil.”
Should Bolsonaro’s appeals prove unsuccessful, his defense team is likely to request permission for him to serve his nearly 30-year sentence under house arrest, citing various health concerns. Bolsonaro, who suffered a stabbing during a 2018 campaign event, has a medical history of hospitalizations and surgeries stemming from the attack.
Previously banned from running for office until 2030 for abusing his authority during his 2022 re-election campaign, Bolsonaro faces a complex legal situation with pending legal battles and ongoing controversies.