(MENAFN) Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who had been confined to his residence in Brasília, has been taken into police custody, his lawyer confirmed.

Bolsonaro had been serving house arrest since early August while appealing a Supreme Court verdict issued in September, in which he received a 27-year prison sentence for allegedly trying to overturn the 2022 presidential election results. The 70-year-old maintains his innocence.

His attorney, Celso Vilardi, did not disclose why authorities moved to detain him at this moment. The arrest took place shortly before a planned vigil by Bolsonaro’s supporters outside his residence.

As stated by reports, a Supreme Court justice ordered law enforcement to take Bolsonaro into custody, expressing concern that the gathering of supporters could interfere with surveillance of his house arrest. The judge also cited indications that the device monitoring Bolsonaro's movements had been tampered with the previous night, according to those accounts.

The same order noted that allowing crowds to gather could open the door to Bolsonaro’s “eventual escape,” referencing prior discussions about seeking refuge in the Argentine embassy in the capital.

A representative of the federal police told reporters that Bolsonaro has already completed the standard intake procedures.

Bolsonaro has continued to receive international attention throughout his legal disputes. In July, US President Donald Trump—who cultivated a strong relationship with him during his earlier term—condemned the actions taken against Bolsonaro, calling them a “witch hunt” and imposing 50% tariffs on certain Brazilian products. Reports indicate that Washington has begun easing some of those tariffs in recent weeks.

MENAFN23112025000045017281ID1110385234