Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was sentenced of orchestrating a government overthrow in last fall and handed more than 27 years in jail, but he was staying under home detention pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after recent developments emerged.
This encompassed attempting to break his ankle monitor and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could enable a possible escape.
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the detention, Justice Moraes said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his flight.
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the protest called by his offspring.
His offspring, his son Flávio, who serves as a legislator, called for a gathering of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone there on your couch? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the magistrate's determination was the potential of Bolsonaro's transfer to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a background of arranging to ask for protection through a embassy office", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brasilia, is located around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Worldwide Consequences
His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist US President President Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a national police facility in the capital and will experience a custody hearing on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also asked that the former president be allowed to leave his home for healthcare, saying he needed frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Context of Sentencing
He was determined responsible of leading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the 2022 election to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plan which included plans to kill the current president and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The conspiracy was stopped because it didn't receive the endorsement of the military leaders. His successor was took office without issue on the first day of 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, thousands of his followers invaded and destroyed official structures in the capital, the capital city.
The security forces intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.
The judges found that the protesters had been encouraged by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from running for public office until the year 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 national vote.
