Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was sentenced of planning a military coup in September and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he continued under home detention pending legal challenges.
High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after recent developments were revealed.
This included seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a demonstration that could enable a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a document approving the custody, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the protest called by his son.
His offspring, his son Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your settee? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our land."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the magistrate's determination was the chance of his move to embassies near the home, considering that the probes revealed a history of arranging to ask for protection through a embassy office", a declaration said.
The judicial paperwork highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, the capital city, is located around 8 miles from his dwelling.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist US President Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will undergo a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be allowed to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he needed ongoing care for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of heading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a plot which encompassed plans to assassinate his opponent and his running partner, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was thwarted because it failed to get the backing of the military leaders. His successor was took office without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on 8 January, thousands of his backers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the federal district, Brasília.
The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also barred from running for public office until the year 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him running in the 2026 presidential election.
