Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was convicted of planning a government overthrow in last fall and given more than over two decades in incarceration, but he continued under house arrest pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after fresh information emerged.
This encompassed trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a summons to a public vigil that could facilitate a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the arrest, the magistrate said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the surveillance device to ensure success in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his son.
His son, his son Flávio, who serves as a senator, called for a gathering of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or see it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the potential of Bolsonaro's transfer to embassies near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of planning to ask for protection through a consular facility", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, the capital city, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative American leader Donald Trump, prompting him to enact a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will undergo a custody hearing on the following day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that he be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he needed ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was found guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plan which involved plans to kill the current president and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was thwarted because it failed to get the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. Lula was took office without incident on the first day of 2023.
But a following week, on 8 January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed public facilities in the federal district, the capital city.
The police stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.
The judges found that the rioters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also barred from running for public office until 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.
The one-time head of state called the court case a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 presidential election.
