Brazil’s federal police arrested former President Jair Bolsonaro preemptively Saturday, days before he was set to begin his 27-year prison sentence for leading a coup attempt, officials said.

A close aide said the embattled former leader was taken to the police force headquarters in the capital, Brasilia, from his house arrest.

The force said in a short statement, which did not name Bolsonaro, that it acted on the request of Brazil’s Supreme Court.

Neither Brazil’s federal police nor the Supreme Court provided more details.

Bolsonaro’s aide Andriely Cirino confirmed to The Associated Press that the arrest took place around 6 am Saturday.

The 70-year-old former president was taken from his house in a gated community in the upscale Jardim Botanico neighbourhood to the federal police hea

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