Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The ex-president was found guilty of plotting a armed takeover in September and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he remained under confinement pending court reviews.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.
This involved seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a call for a public vigil that could facilitate a possible escape.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the custody, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the demonstration would be so supporters could offer prayers for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the magistrate's ruling was the potential of the former president's "relocation to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a background of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The court filing underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, the capital city, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist US President President Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro is being held in a national police facility in the capital and will have a detention review on the following day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that Bolsonaro be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was determined responsible of heading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a plan which encompassed plans to murder his opponent and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The scheme was stopped because it couldn't obtain the backing of the army and air force commanders. His successor was sworn in without issue on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, numerous his followers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the national capital, Brazil's capital.
The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.
The justices found that the rioters had been incited by him whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the moment, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.
The one-time head of state called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 national vote.
