Brasília (AFP) – Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro -- under house arrest while he appeals a conviction for a foiled coup attempt -- was taken into custody Saturday after the Supreme Court deemed him a high flight risk.
The court said the far-right firebrand -- who was sentenced to 27 years in prison over a scheme to stop leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office after the 2022 elections -- had attempted to disable his ankle monitor in order to flee.
Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes said Bolsonaro's detention was a preventive measure as final appeals play out.
In a video made public by the court, Bolsonaro admitted that he had used a soldering iron on the monitoring bracelet out of "curiosity." The video showed the device badly damaged and burned, but still on his ankle.
The 70-year-old Bolsonaro, who governed Brazil from 2019 to 2022, was placed under house arrest in August and has been confined to an upscale condominium in the capital Brasilia.
Moraes said in his ruling that a planned vigil outside the condominium called by the former leader's eldest son Flavio Bolsonaro on Saturday could cause turmoil that would "create an environment conducive to his escape."
Flavio had urged Bolsonaro supporters to "fight for your country."
The judge said the attempted disabling of the ankle monitor occurred early Saturday as part of a plan to "ensure the success of his escape, facilitated by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son."
Moraes gave Bolsonaro's attorneys 24 hours to explain the incident.
"I don't know what's going on inside the Federal Police now. If something happens to my father, Alexandre de Moraes, if my father dies in there, it's your fault," Flavio said in a live video broadcast, maintaining his call for a vigil.
The judge also highlighted the proximity of Bolsonaro's home to the US embassy, raising the risk of him seeking political asylum.
Bolsonaro, a former army captain, is an ally of US President Donald Trump, who has called the trial a "witch hunt" and imposed punitive tariffs and sanctions against Brazil over it.
Trump said Saturday he had spoken to Bolsonaro "last night" and would be meeting him "in the very near future."
When asked about the arrest, the US leader said he knew nothing about it, but added: "That's too bad."
Bolsonaro has been taken to a federal police complex in Brasilia where prisoners undergo medical examinations before being sent to jail, according to a source close to the case.
Another source sent a video to AFP showing the small room where Bolsonaro will be held for now, with a television, air conditioning and a mini-fridge.
A group of women gathered outside the police headquarters and uncorked a bottle of sparkling wine to celebrate Bolsonaro's imprisonment.
Ana Denise Sousa, 47, a high school philosophy teacher, told AFP she was overjoyed.
"The biggest scoundrel, the worst guy...who screwed everyone over, who (attempted) a coup, who never felt pity for anyone -- and now he's going to pay," she said.
Supporters also arrived at the scene, draped in Brazil's green and yellow flag.
"This is all political persecution," said Alessandro Goncalves de Almeida, a 53-year-old rideshare driver.
Bolsonaro's legal woes have left Brazil's large conservative electorate without a champion heading into 2026 presidential elections, in which Lula, 80, has said he will seek a fourth term.
His defense team said they would appeal the detention which "could put his life at risk" due to his alleged frail health.
Bolsonaro suffers ongoing consequences of a stab wound to the abdomen during a 2018 campaign trail attack and has required several follow-up surgeries.
During his presidency, Bolsonaro was praised for his handling of the economy but slammed for overseeing record Amazon deforestation and dismissing Covid-19 as a "little flu."
He was convicted in September of leading a criminal organization that conspired to ensure his "authoritarian hold on power." The plot allegedly involved a plan to assassinate Lula, his vice president Geraldo Alckmin, and Moraes.