New information surfaced on Monday clarifying the circumstances surrounding former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's arrest and offering further insight into the events that led Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to order his arrest. The decision came after more than three months of house arrest linked to his conviction for plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 election.

Court records show that Bolsonaro tampered with his electronic ankle monitor shortly after midnight on November 22, triggering an alert to federal police at 12:08 a.m. Officers later discovered burn marks on the device, suggesting the use of a heating tool. Bolsonaro was taken into custody hours later as authorities concluded he might attempt to flee.

De Moraes also cited concerns about an organized vigil of supporters planned outside Bolsonaro's residence that night, which he said could disrupt law-enforcement operations and facilitate an escape.

In a custody hearing on Sunday, Bolsonaro insisted the incident was not part of an escape plot. He said the episode stemmed from an adverse reaction to several anticonvulsant medications prescribed for his chronic hiccups and other longstanding ailments.

According to the court document, "The witness stated that, around midnight, he tampered with the ankle bracelet, then 'came to his senses' and stopped using the soldering iron, at which point he informed the officers guarding him." Bolsonaro told the judge he had imagined surveillance equipment was hidden inside the monitor and denied that he intended to flee.

The judge overseeing Sunday's hearing ruled that the federal police acted within the law and ordered Bolsonaro to remain in custody. He is being held in a 12-square-meter cell at federal police headquarters in Brasilia, equipped with a bed, TV, air conditioning and a private bathroom. A panel of Supreme Court justices is expected to review his situation on Monday.

Health claims and defense strategy

Bolsonaro's lawyers have intensified their campaign to secure “humanitarian house arrest,” arguing his health is too fragile for continued detention. They pointed to lingering complications from the 2018 stabbing that left him with chronic abdominal problems, as well as stress, age and the combined effects of medications.

In their filing, they wrote: "What the case files and the events of the early hours of November 22 show is the extremely delicate state of the former president's health, exactly as described in the medical reports and examinations already included in the files." They added that his actions reflected "illogical behavior" rather than an escape attempt.

Bolsonaro has a long history of hospitalizations, surgeries, and complications connected to a 2018 attempt on his life. His legal team had previously pushed to convert his 27-year sentence into a form of long-term house confinement, arguing that his physical condition meets humanitarian-release criteria. His house arrest prior to Saturday's detention stemmed from unrelated violations involving alleged attempts to solicit US political interference in his favor.

Political reverberations

Bolsonaro's detention has intensified an already polarized political climate. His wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, visited him on Sunday before attending a political event in the northeast.

Crowds of supporters gathered outside the police headquarters waving flags and accusing the judiciary of weaponizing the law. "(He's) a person who hasn't committed any crime. It's simply a political persecution," said supporter Alessandro Almeida.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva rejected accusations of persecution during a press conference at the G20 in Johannesburg. "(The Supreme Court) made a decision. He was tried and had every right to the presumption of innocence," Lula told reporters. "He will serve the sentence that the court has determined, and everyone knows what he did."

International implications

The United States has become an unexpected part of the dispute and has intervened in Brazil's internal affairs. State Department officials voiced concern about Bolsonaro's treatment, calling it an attack on political stability and due process.

The case also unfolded shortly after  US President Donald Trump began retracting parts of the 40% tariff he imposed on many Brazilian goods in response to what he described as Bolsonaro's wrongful prosecution. Trump approved exemptions for imports of beef, coffee, cocoa and fruits days before the arrest.

When asked on Saturday about Bolsonaro's detention, he replied: "Is that what happened? That's too bad," and said he expects to meet again soon with Lula.

A conviction that still overshadows everything

Bolsonaro's legal challenges originate in his September conviction by Brazil's top court, which sentenced him to 27 years and three months in prison for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election.

He has been appealing the sentence, and Saturday's arrest complicates his defense as judges weigh both his medical claims and the evidence of monitor tampering.

The coming days are expected to determine whether Bolsonaro would remain in police custody or be transferred back to some form of supervised release.

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