Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.
The former head of state was found guilty of planning a armed takeover in September and given more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under home detention pending appeals.
Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" came to light.
This encompassed attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a public vigil that could enable a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the custody, the judge said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.
His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a legislator, called for a meeting of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
His son wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your couch? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our country."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's ruling was the chance of his transfer to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The legal document highlights that the US embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is positioned around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Worldwide Consequences
His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist United States President Trump, causing him to enact a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.
He is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will have a imprisonment assessment on the following day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that he be allowed to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he required frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was found guilty of leading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the national vote to his ideological adversary, Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which encompassed plans to murder Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.
The scheme was thwarted because it failed to get the backing of the military leaders. The current president was inaugurated without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised official structures in the capital, Brasília.
The police stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.
The judges found that the rioters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, reestablish control and return him to office.
At the period, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 national vote.
