Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.
The one-time leader was convicted of planning a government overthrow in September and handed more than 27 years in prison, but he continued under home detention pending court reviews.
High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" were revealed.
This involved seeking to disable his tracking device and a invitation to a demonstration that could enable a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the detention, the judge said information from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his son.
His offspring, his son Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
The senator wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's decision was the potential of Bolsonaro's move to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of organizing to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, the capital city, is positioned around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Global Responses
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President President Trump, causing him to impose a fifty percent tax on goods coming from Brazil.
Bolsonaro is being held in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will undergo a detention review on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that he be authorized to leave his home for medical care, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Details of Guilty Verdict
He was determined responsible of heading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which included plans to kill Lula and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was thwarted because it failed to get the backing of the military leaders. Lula was sworn in without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, many Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged official structures in the capital, Brasília.
The law enforcement took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been incited by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, restore order and reinstate his authority.
At the period, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.
The former president called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the next presidential race.
