Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.
The former head of state was convicted of orchestrating a military coup in last fall and given more than 27 years in incarceration, but he continued under house arrest pending legal challenges.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" were revealed.
This included trying to remove his tracking device and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a possible escape.
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a document approving the custody, the magistrate said data from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his son.
His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a legislator, called for a meeting of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.
His son wrote on digital networks on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering 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 possibility of his transfer to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of organizing to request asylum through a embassy office", a statement said.
The legal document underscores that the United States embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is located around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Global Responses
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist American leader Donald Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
He is being detained in a national police facility in the capital and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that he be allowed to leave his home for medical care, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Context of Sentencing
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of heading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the national vote to his ideological adversary, Lula.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a scheme which involved plans to murder the current president and his running partner, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The conspiracy was thwarted because it failed to get the endorsement of the military leaders. The current president was inaugurated without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, many Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged government buildings in the national capital, Brasília.
The security forces intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the period, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from running for public office until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the end of his sentence.
The former president called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.
