Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.
The ex-president was convicted of planning a government overthrow in September and given more than over two decades in jail, but he continued under house arrest pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after recent developments emerged.
This encompassed seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a summons to a demonstration that could facilitate a possible escape.
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a document approving the detention, the judge said intelligence from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the former leader's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his flight.
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his son.
His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on online platforms on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your couch? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so supporters could "pray for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's transfer to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a background of arranging to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
Global Responses
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative American leader Trump, leading him to impose a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being held in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will experience a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also asked that the former president be allowed to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of orchestrating a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the national vote to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plan which included plans to assassinate Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the armed forces officials. Lula was took office without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on 8 January, numerous his backers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the capital, the capital city.
The police stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.
The justices found that the protesters had been incited by him whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, restore order and bring him back to power.
At the period, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 presidential election.
