Brazil’s Supreme Court on Saturday ordered the pre-trial detention of former president Jair Bolsonaro, just days before he was due to begin serving a 27-year prison sentence for leading an attempted coup.
Bolsonaro was taken to the Federal Police headquarters in Brasília. The judge overseeing the case, Alexandre de Moraes, said the arrest “must be carried out with all due respect for the dignity of former president Jair Messias Bolsonaro, without the use of handcuffs and without any exposure to the press”. The ruling also refers to an alleged attempt to remove his electronic ankle bracelet, suggesting an “intention” to potentially “escape”.
