Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The one-time leader was found guilty of planning a military coup in last fall and given more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he continued under home detention pending appeals.
Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a safety action after recent developments emerged.
This encompassed trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a call for a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said data from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.
His son, Flávio, who holds office as a senator, called for a assembly of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.
The senator wrote on online platforms on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or observe everything from your phone there on your couch? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the magistrate's ruling was the potential of his "relocation to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of organizing to ask for protection through a consular facility", a declaration said.
The court filing highlights that the United States embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is located around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.
Global Responses
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, causing him to enact a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being kept in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the following day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also requested that the former president be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he demanded regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.
Details of Guilty Verdict
He was convicted of orchestrating a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plot which included plans to assassinate Lula and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The conspiracy was prevented because it didn't receive the support of the armed forces officials. His successor was sworn in without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a following week, on 8 January, numerous his followers attacked and damaged public facilities in the federal district, Brasília.
The security forces stepped in and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been encouraged by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the time, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 presidential election.
