BRASÍLIA: 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…