Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Arrested

Former Brazilian President (2019-2022) Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison for his role in the coup, appealed the ruling, and is under house arrest, has been arrested, TASS reports.

Bolsonaro's lawyer was unable to disclose the reasons for his client's detention. According to Reuters, the authorities' decision is a preventive measure related to the conditions of the former president's house arrest pending his trial. The defense is expected to insist on maintaining the house arrest, citing Bolsonaro's health issues.

On September 11, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was found guilty of conspiring to prevent Lula da Silva from assuming power in January 2023. In late October, Bolsonaro's lawyers filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of Brazil (STF), citing errors in the ruling that sentenced the politician to 27 years in prison.

According to the case file, Bolsonaro and his entourage, including several military personnel, plotted to disrupt Lula da Silva's inauguration and were preparing a coup attempt for December 15, 2022, just three days after the newly elected president would be presented with the presidential certificate. One of the plans discussed by the conspirators was an operation codenamed "Punhal Verde e Amarelo" ("Yellow-Green Dagger"), which entailed the assassination of Lula da Silva and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin.

However, the coup attempts did not materialize before Lula da Silva's inauguration. Meanwhile, in January 2023, after he took office, Bolsonaro's supporters rioted in the capital and attempted to seize government buildings. Authorities estimate that approximately 5,000 people participated in these riots, more than 1,400 of whom were detained.