Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The one-time leader was convicted of plotting a military coup in the ninth month and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he continued under confinement pending legal challenges.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a precautionary step after fresh information were revealed.
This encompassed seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a summons to a demonstration that could enable a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a document approving the arrest, the magistrate said information from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his child.
His child, his son 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.
The senator wrote on online platforms on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your couch? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's determination was the potential of the former president's move to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a history of planning to ask for protection through a consular facility", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the United States embassy in the capital, the capital city, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
Global Responses
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist US President President Trump, prompting him to implement a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also asked that Bolsonaro be permitted to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Context of Sentencing
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of orchestrating a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the presidential race to his ideological adversary, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plot which encompassed plans to murder Lula and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The plot was prevented because it didn't receive the backing of the armed forces officials. His successor was sworn in without problem on the first day of 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, numerous his followers stormed and vandalised official structures in the federal district, Brazil's capital.
The security forces intervened and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The justices found that the protesters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, restore order and reinstate his authority.
At the period, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 presidential election.
