Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.
The ex-president was found guilty of planning a armed takeover in September and given more than over two decades in prison, but he remained under confinement pending legal challenges.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a precautionary step after recent developments came to light.
This included trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a public vigil that could enable a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the custody, the judge said information from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.
His offspring, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or watch it all from your phone there on your settee? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's ruling was the potential of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to request asylum through a embassy office", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist American leader Trump, leading him to implement a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being held in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a custody hearing on the next day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that the former president be allowed to leave his home for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the 2022 election to his political opponent, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which included plans to murder Lula and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was prevented because it failed to get the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. Lula was took office without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, numerous his backers invaded and destroyed official structures in the national capital, the capital city.
The security forces stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been encouraged by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 national vote.
