Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The ex-president was found guilty of plotting a military coup in last fall and sentenced more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" came to light.
This included trying to remove his ankle monitor and a invitation to a public vigil that could enable a possible escape.
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a document approving the arrest, 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 secure accomplishment in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his child.
His child, Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his supporters near his father's house to take place on the weekend.
The senator wrote on digital networks on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I call on you to fight with us."
He said the demonstration would be so followers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the magistrate's determination was the possibility of the former president's "relocation to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a history of planning to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The legal document underscores that the US embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
Global Responses
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist American leader Trump, leading him to implement a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being held in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will have a detention review on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with tracking devices.
They also requested that the former president be allowed to leave his home for medical care, saying he required ongoing care for lung conditions and other health problems.
Context of Sentencing
The former president was found guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, President Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plan which encompassed plans to assassinate Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was stopped because it didn't receive the endorsement of the military leaders. His successor was inaugurated without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on 8 January, many his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the national capital, Brasília.
The law enforcement took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, reestablish control and bring him back to power.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also banned from running for public office until 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The former president called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 national vote.
