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Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.

The one-time leader was found guilty of planning a government overthrow in last fall and handed more than a 27-year term in prison, but he was staying under home detention pending appeals.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.

This involved seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns

In a document approving the arrest, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the former leader's "intention to break the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his getaway".

This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the protest called by his offspring.

His son, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or observe everything from your phone there on your settee? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could "pray for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the magistrate's determination was the potential of Bolsonaro's transfer to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of arranging to seek refuge through a embassy office", a announcement said.

The judicial paperwork highlights that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is located around 13km from his dwelling.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist United States President Trump, causing him to impose a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

The former president is being kept in a national police facility in the capital and will have a detention review on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with tracking devices.

They also petitioned that he be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he needed ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.

Context of Sentencing

The former president was convicted of orchestrating a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plan which included plans to murder his opponent and his running partner, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over the former president's case.

The plot was thwarted because it didn't receive the support of the military leaders. His successor was sworn in without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, many Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement took action and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.

The judges found that the demonstrators had been incited by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.

At the time, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also prohibited from running for public office until 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The ex-leader called the trial a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 presidential election.