Brazil's Former President Jair Bolsonaro Arrested Days Before 27-Year Prison Term

Brazil's federal police on Saturday arrested former president Jair Bolsonaro over suspicion that he was plotting to escape to avoid starting a 27-year prison sentence for leading a coup attempt.

Bolsonaro was taken to the headquarters of the country's federal police in the capital, Brasilia, from his house arrest. Bolsonaro's aide Andriely Cirino confirmed that the arrest took place around 6 am on Saturday.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the case, said in his ruling that Bolsonaro's ankle monitor, which he has worn since July 18 for being deemed a flight risk, was violated at 0:08 am on Saturday.

He said there was a chance of the 70-year-old politician fleeing to embassies in his neighbourhood to request political asylum. The Supreme Court panel hearing Bolsonaro's case will vote on De Moraes' order in an extraordinary session on Monday.

According to a news report in The Associated Pres (AP), De Moraes said Bolsonaro's arrest "should be made with all respect to the dignity of former President Jair Messias Bolsonaro, without the use of handcuffs and without any media exposition."

The former president was taken from his house in a gated community in the upscale Jardim Botanico neighbourhood to the federal police headquarters, Bolsonaro's aide Cirino said.

Bolsonaro was placed under house arrest in early August, weeks before he was convicted in his coup trial. His lawyers appealed with Brazil's Supreme Court to keep him at home to serve his sentence citing his poor health.

Bolsonaro, who was Brazil's president from 2019 to 2022, is expected to begin serving his sentence sometime next week after the far-right leader exhausted all appeals of his conviction for leading a coup attempt, local media reports report.

The preemptive arrest of Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday does not mean he will serve his sentence at the federal police headquarters, as Brazilian law mandates all convicts start their prison terms behind bars.

Bolsonaro and several allies were convicted by the Supreme Court for attempting to overthrow Brazil’s democracy after his 2022 election defeat to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Prosecutors accused the group of plotting to assassinate Lula, his running mate Geraldo Alckmin, and Justice Alexandre de Moraes, as well as inciting an insurrection in early 2023. Bolsonaro was also found guilty of leading an armed criminal organisation and conspiring to violently dismantle the democratic rule of law. He denies all charges.