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 plotting a government overthrow in last fall and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he continued under confinement pending legal challenges.
Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a preventative measure after fresh information came to light.
This involved trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a summons to a public vigil that could "allow for a possible escape.
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a document approving the custody, the judge said data from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to secure accomplishment in his escape.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio, who holds office as a legislator, called for a meeting of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
His son wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or see it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could "pray for his health and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of his move to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a record of planning to seek refuge through a embassy office", a statement said.
The legal document highlights that the US embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist US President 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 have a detention review on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be allowed to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he required ongoing care for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was found guilty of leading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plan which included plans to kill the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The plot was thwarted because it didn't receive the endorsement of the armed forces officials. The current president was took office without problem on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, numerous his backers attacked and damaged government buildings in the national capital, Brazil's capital.
The law enforcement intervened and around 1,500 people were detained.
The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by him whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office.
At the moment, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.
He was also banned from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 national vote.
