Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The former head of state was found guilty of planning a armed takeover in September and sentenced more than a 27-year term in prison, but he was staying under confinement pending legal challenges.
High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a preventative measure after fresh information emerged.
This included trying to remove his ankle monitor and a call for a demonstration that could facilitate a potential flight.
Judicial Records Show Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the detention, the judge said data from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to ensure success in his escape.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his child.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a legislator, called for a gathering of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
The senator wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your settee? I urge you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of the former president's move to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a background of planning to ask for protection through a consular facility", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is situated around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Global Responses
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist American leader Trump, prompting him to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a detention review on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that he be authorized to leave his home for medical care, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
He was determined responsible of heading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the national vote to his ideological adversary, Lula.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a plan which involved plans to murder his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.
The plot was stopped because it didn't receive the backing of the military leaders. Lula was took office without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, numerous his followers attacked and damaged government buildings in the capital, Brasília.
The police took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.
The justices found that the protesters had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, reestablish control and bring him back to power.
At the moment, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also banned from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 national vote.
