Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was found guilty of planning a military coup in September and sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he remained under confinement pending legal challenges.
Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the move to detain the elderly politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.
This encompassed attempting to break his tracking device and a invitation to a public vigil that could facilitate a possible escape.
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the detention, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his child.
His child, Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a gathering of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so supporters could "pray for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's decision was the potential of Bolsonaro's move to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a record of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork highlights that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Global Responses
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist American leader Donald Trump, causing him to implement a fifty percent tax on goods coming from Brazil.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a Federal Police station in the capital and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that he be authorized to depart his residence for medical care, saying he required regular treatment for lung conditions and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
He was determined responsible of leading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, Lula.
High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which encompassed plans to kill his opponent and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The plot was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the military leaders. Lula was inaugurated without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a following week, on the eighth of January, many his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the national capital, Brazil's capital.
The police intervened and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The judges found that the rioters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from running for public office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 national vote.
