Brazil's ex-president Bolsonaro placed under preventive arrest ahead of 27-year imprisonment

Brazil's Supreme Court approved the preventive arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday, days before he was due to begin a 27-year prison sentence for organizing an attempted coup, AP reports, writes UNN.

Details

He was taken from house arrest to the federal police headquarters in Brazil's capital.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the case, stated in his ruling that the arrest "must be with full respect for the dignity of former President Jair Messias Bolsonaro, without the use of handcuffs and without any media exposure."

Bolsonaro's aide, Andrieli Cirino, confirmed to The Associated Press that the arrest occurred around 6 a.m. local time on Saturday, just hours after de Moraes issued the unexpected decision.

The 70-year-old former president was taken from his home in a gated community in the upscale Jardim Botânico neighborhood to the federal police department, Cirino said.

De Moraes mentioned in his ruling a video posted this week by Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, one of the former president's sons, in which he calls on supporters to take to the streets in defense of his father.

"The video made by Flávio Bolsonaro provokes disrespect for the constitution, judicial decisions and (democratic) institutions, showing that the criminal organization knows no bounds in its attempts to sow chaos and conflict in this country, demonstrating complete disrespect for democracy," the Supreme Court justice wrote.

"Brazilian democracy has reached sufficient maturity to stop and prosecute in court the pathetic illegal initiatives to protect the criminal organization responsible for the attempted coup in Brazil," he added.

Some Bolsonaro supporters, who claim he is being politically persecuted, are expected to hold a rally outside the federal police building throughout the weekend.

Saturday's preventive arrest does not mean Bolsonaro will remain at the federal police department to serve his sentence. Brazilian law requires all convicted persons to begin serving their sentences in prison.

Addition

Bolsonaro was placed under house arrest in early August, weeks before his conviction in the coup case. His lawyers had appealed to Brazil's Supreme Court to keep him at home for punishment, citing poor health.

Local media reported that Bolsonaro, who served as Brazil's president from 2019 to 2022, was due to begin serving his sentence next week after the far-right leader exhausted all avenues of appeal against his conviction for organizing an attempted coup.

The former president and several of his allies were convicted by a panel of Supreme Court justices for attempting to overthrow Brazilian democracy after his defeat in the 2022 election to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Prosecutors said the plot included plans to assassinate Lula and incite an uprising in early 2023, the publication writes.

Bolsonaro, it is noted, was also found guilty of charges of leading an armed criminal organization and attempting to violently overthrow the democratic rule of law. Bolsonaro denies his guilt.

He, the publication writes, remains a key figure in Brazilian politics, despite being barred from running for office until at least 2030 after a separate decision by Brazil's Superior Electoral Court. Polls show he would be the strongest candidate in next year's election if he were allowed to run.

Bolsonaro, the publication notes, is an ally of US President Donald Trump, who called his trial a "witch hunt." Bolsonaro was mentioned in a July US administration order to raise tariffs on a number of Brazilian exports by 50%. On Friday, Trump reversed most of the increased tariffs on Brazilian exports.