Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was convicted of orchestrating a armed takeover in last fall and handed more than a 27-year term in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending legal challenges.
Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a safety action after fresh information emerged.
This encompassed trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a call for a public vigil that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the arrest, the judge said data from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's aim to disable the tracking monitor to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your country, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your couch? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the chance of Bolsonaro's move to foreign missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a history of arranging to ask for protection through a consular facility", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brasilia, is situated around 8 miles from his dwelling.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist US President Trump, prompting him to impose a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will experience a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Context of Sentencing
The former president was found guilty of leading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his political opponent, Lula.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a plot which encompassed plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing the former president's case.
The plot was stopped because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the military leaders. The current president was sworn in without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised public facilities in the national capital, Brazil's capital.
The law enforcement stepped in and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The justices found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, restore order and return him to office.
At the moment, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also banned from running for public office until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 presidential election.
