Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The former head of state was convicted of plotting a military coup in last fall and given more than a 27-year term in prison, but he remained under confinement pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after fresh information emerged.
This included seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the detention, the magistrate said intelligence from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the protest called by his son.
His offspring, his son Flávio, who serves as a legislator, called for a meeting of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Will you battle for your nation, or watch it all from your phone there on your couch? I urge you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the magistrate's determination was the possibility of the former president's transfer to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of planning to seek refuge through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The legal document emphasizes that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is located around 13km from the former president's residence.
Global Responses
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist US President Donald Trump, causing him to impose a fifty percent tax on goods coming from Brazil.
The former president is being held in a national police facility in Brasilia and will have a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that the former president be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Context of Sentencing
He was determined responsible of orchestrating a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plan which encompassed plans to kill Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the backing of the army and air force commanders. His successor was took office without problem on the first day of 2023.
But a following week, on 8 January, numerous his followers invaded and destroyed public facilities in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The police intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, restore order and reinstate his authority.
At the time, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also banned from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 presidential election.
