Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The one-time leader was convicted of orchestrating a government overthrow in the ninth month and sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he continued under confinement pending court reviews.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after recent developments emerged.
This encompassed attempting to break his tracking device and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could enable a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a document approving the custody, the magistrate said information from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to ensure success in his flight.
This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His son, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
The senator wrote on digital networks on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your settee? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's ruling was the possibility of Bolsonaro's move to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a record of arranging to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The court filing highlights that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is situated around 13km from the former president's residence.
Global Responses
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President Trump, prompting him to implement a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being held in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will experience a detention review on the following day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that he be authorized to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he required ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
He was found guilty of orchestrating a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the 2022 election to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which involved plans to murder the current president and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was prevented because it failed to get the endorsement of the armed forces officials. Lula was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, numerous his backers attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, the capital city.
The security forces took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.
At the time, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also banned from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.
The one-time head of state called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him running in the next presidential race.
