Ex-Brazilian President Bolsonaro detained by police

The country’s former leader had been under house arrest in Brasilia appealing a conviction for plotting a coup

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who had been under house arrest in the country’s capital, Brasilia, has been detained by police officers, his lawyer has confirmed.

In September, the Brazilian Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison after he was found guilty of attempting to overturn the results of the country’s 2022 presidential election. The 70-year-old, who denies any wrongdoing, had been under house arrest since early August, appealing the ruling.

Bolsonaro’s attorney Celso Vilardi did not provide the reason for his client’s detention, but it happened shortly before the former president’s supporters had planned to hold a vigil near his home.

According to Reuters, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Bolsonaro to be taken into custody, citing the risk of the activists hampering the police monitoring of his house arrest. The judge also pointed to evidence of tampering with the politician’s ankle monitor the night before, the agency said.

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Moraes also argued in his order that the gathering near Bolsonaro’s home could pave the way for his “eventual escape,” saying that the former president had previously considered seeking asylum in the Argentine embassy in Brasilia.

A federal police representative told the media that Bolsonaro has already undergone the custody intake process in the capital.

In July, US President Donald Trump, who established close relations with Bolsonaro during his first term, called the former president’s persecution  by the government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and a “witch hunt” and slapped 50% tariffs on certain Brazilian goods. However, earlier this month Washington began rolling back some of the levies.