Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The ex-president was convicted of orchestrating a armed takeover in the ninth month and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under confinement pending legal challenges.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" emerged.
This encompassed trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a call for a public vigil that could enable a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the protest called by his child.
His son, his son Flávio, who works as a senator, called for a assembly of his followers near his father's house to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your country, or see it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's ruling was the chance of his transfer to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brasilia, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, leading him to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that the former president be authorized to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he required frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Context of Sentencing
The former president was determined responsible of leading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the national vote to his left-wing rival, Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which encompassed plans to kill his opponent and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The scheme was prevented because it didn't receive the backing of the army and air force commanders. The current president was took office without problem on January 1st, 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed government buildings in the national capital, the capital city.
The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were detained.
The justices found that the rioters had been provoked by him whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, restore order and return him to office.
At the moment, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also barred from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 national vote.
