Jair Bolsonaro Arrested Amid Flight Risk Concerns

Sun Nov 23 2025 07:10:07 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was arrested due to being deemed a flight risk while under house arrest, following a conviction for plotting a military coup.

Jair Bolsonaro was taken into custody after authorities determined he could attempt to escape while under house arrest. Found guilty of plotting a military coup, he faces a lengthy prison sentence but had remained at home pending appeals. Justice Alexandre de Moraes cited actions including attempts to tamper with an ankle monitor and calls for public gatherings that might assist in an escape as reasons for his arrest.

Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after being determined a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.

The former Brazilian president was found guilty of plotting a military coup in September and sentenced to more than 27 years in prison, but he remains under house arrest pending appeals.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old was a preventative measure after new facts came to light.

This included attempting to break his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could allow for a possible escape.

In a filing authorising the arrest, Justice Moraes stated that information from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former president's intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his escape.

This, it said, would be facilitated by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.

His son, Flávio, who serves a senator, called for a gathering of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night. Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: Are you going to fight for your country, or watch it all from your phone there on your sofa? I invite you to fight with us.

He stated the vigil would be so supporters could pray for his health and for the return of democracy in our country.

Justice Moraes's decision also reflected on the possibility of Bolsonaro being relocated to nearby embassies, as investigations revealed a history of planning to request asylum through diplomatic channels.

Bolsonaro's legal troubles have even caught the attention of US President Donald Trump, prompting an announcement of a 50% tax on Brazilian imports.

Currently, Bolsonaro is being held at a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will face a custody hearing on Sunday.

It was only on Friday that Bolsonaro's lawyers asked the Supreme Court for permission to serve his jail sentence under house arrest with electronic monitoring, citing his health conditions that require treatment for pulmonary infections.

Following his conviction, Bolsonaro's legal team described the 27-year sentence as absurdly excessive. He was found guilty of leading a conspiracy intending to maintain power after his electoral defeat in 2022.

The Supreme Court noted that the conspiracy involved serious plans, including assassination attempts against his political rival Lula and the justice overseeing his trial.

Bolsonaro's actions, including calling for his supporters to rise against the government, sparked significant unrest in Brazil, leading to widespread arrests of his supporters.