Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The former head of state was sentenced of orchestrating a government overthrow in last fall and sentenced more than a 27-year term in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending court reviews.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" emerged.
This encompassed trying to remove his ankle monitor and a call for a supporters' gathering that could enable a possible escape.
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the detention, the judge said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the protest called by his child.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
The senator wrote on social media on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your settee? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our land."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's ruling was the possibility of his transfer to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of arranging to seek refuge through a consular facility", a announcement said.
The legal document highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist American leader President Trump, prompting him to enact a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being held in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a detention review on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with tracking devices.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be permitted to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
He was found guilty of orchestrating a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plan which encompassed plans to kill Lula and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was stopped because it failed to get the support of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without incident on the first day of 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, many his followers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The law enforcement intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.
The judges found that the rioters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office.
At the time, the legal team called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the next presidential race.
