Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested for allegedly attempting to flee just days before starting his nearly 30-year prison sentence for plotting a coup.
The 70-year-old has been under strict house arrest since he was sentenced to 27 years and three months behind bars in September.
However, the ex-leader of Brazil’s Liberal Party was arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning in Brasilia after allegedly attempting to interfere with his electronic monitoring device.
Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes deemed Bolsonaro as a “high flight risk”.
The 70-year-old has been under strict house arrest since he was sentenced to 27 years and three months behind bars
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Justice Moraes said in his ruling that 70-year-old’s ankle monitor was interfered with at 12.08am on Saturday.
Rulings on Saturdays are rare in Brazilian courts and are usually reserved for serious security threats.
The judge noted that a planned vigil by Bolsonaro’s supporters near his home could have hindered police supervision of his house arrest.
He said: “That information shows the intent of the convict to break the ankle monitoring to assure his escape is successful, which would be made easier by the confusion that would be caused by a demonstration organised by his son.”
Justice Moraes said in his ruling that 70-year-old’s ankle monitor was interfered with at 12.08am on Saturday
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GETTYJustice Moraes highlighted the risk of Bolsonaro fleeing to a foreign embassy, pointing to “a history of planning to seek asylum through a diplomatic representation”.
He cited evidence that Bolsonaro had previously considered seeking asylum at the Argentine embassy in the Brazilian capital.
The ruling also noted that his home lies just eight miles away from the US embassy.
One of Bolsonaro’s sons, alongside other key allies, have already fled the South American country in recent months.
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Bolsonaro’s legal team said they intend to lodge an appeal against the arrest
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REUTERSIn a video posted to social media, the ex-president’s former press adviser Fabio Wajngarten labelled his arrest as “a terrible stain on the institutions”.
He added: “It’s a shame. I hope this is reviewed soon.”
Mr Wajngarten also said that Bolsonaro’s ankle monitor was working correctly as of Saturday morning.
He said: “How could something that was broken, violated, be functioning normally nine hours later?
“The president had dinner – a soup – yesterday with four brothers and brothers-in-law, took medication for hiccups, felt drowsy and lay down around 10pm. None of his sons was at the house.”
Bolsonaro’s legal team said they intend to lodge an appeal against the arrest.
They described his detention as “deeply perplexing” and argued that the planned gathering, called a “prayer vigil”, falls under the constitutional right to religious freedom in Brazil.
His lawyers added: “Despite claiming the ‘existence of very serious evidence of a possible escape,’ the fact is that the former president was arrested at his home, with an electronic ankle monitor and under police surveillance.”
