Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (Reuters image)

Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro was taken into custody early on Saturday after a Supreme Court judge ruled that he had attempted to escape from house arrest. His arrest came only days before he was expected to begin serving a 27-year jail sentence.

Bolsonaro, a close ally of former US President Donald Trump, was convicted in September for working with senior military leaders in 2022 to try to overturn his election defeat. Trump had called the case a “witch-hunt", imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Brazil, and even sanctioned the Supreme Court judge overseeing the trial, causing a major diplomatic dispute between the two countries.

Despite the pressure, Brazil pushed ahead with the prosecution and convicted the 70-year-old fo

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