Overview
- Federal Police arrested Jair Bolsonaro at his home around 6 a.m. Saturday on an order from Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and took him to Federal Police headquarters in Brasilia.
- The judge cited an alert that Bolsonaro’s electronic monitor was altered at 12:08 a.m. and said a vigil called by his son Flávio could create the confusion needed for an escape, noting the nearby embassy district.
- Authorities stressed the measure is preventive and does not begin the 27-year, 3-month sentence Bolsonaro received in September for leading an effort to overturn the 2022 election.
- Bolsonaro is being held in a State-major room with medical oversight, while his lawyers dispute any tampering, call the arrest perplexing, cite health concerns, and prepare new appeals.
- The court scheduled a video custody hearing for Sunday and a virtual vote by the First Panel on Monday to ratify the order, with recent escapes by allies such as Alexandre Ramagem cited as context for the flight-risk assessment.