Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered the former President Jair Bolsonaro to be shifted to high-security solitary confinement after his GPS-enabled anklet showed signs of tampering, indicating he might try to flee during his appeal against the prison sentence.
He was taken into custody by the country’s federal police on Saturday following a Supreme Court order ending his three months of house arrest. Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled that Bolsonaro’s transfer to police custody was a preventive step, as he posed a flight risk. The GPS anklet, which is tied on the parts of the dreaded and under-observation criminals, is a sophisticated device that, if tampered with, sends an SOS signal to the police officials.
Meanwhile, the former president has continued his appeal against the conviction for plotting a coup against President Luiz Inácio da Silva’s government and plotting to assassinate Judge Moraes in 2022.
Police later transferred him to the Brasilia state federal Complexo Penitenciário da Papuda, while the Supreme Court is expected to review de Moraes’ order in a session on Monday. In his ruling, Judge Moraes said that Bolsonaro’s electronic ankle bracelet had shown signs of tampering after midnight on Saturday.
Also Read: Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years in prison
The former Brazilian president was under house arrest for more than 90 days before being sent to a federal prison on Saturday. He was not allowed to use social media or maintain outside relations with political and diplomatic personalities. His lawyers have argued that the planned prayer vigil on Saturday was peaceful and protected under religious freedom, arguing that Bolsonaro remained under police monitoring.
Earlier in September, a bench of five Supreme Court justices headed by de Moraes sentenced Bolsonaro to more than 27 years in prison for plotting a coup and the assassination of the current Brazilian president.
Also Read: Bolsonaro appeals against 27-year prison sentence
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