Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.
The former head of state was sentenced of plotting a government overthrow in September and sentenced more than 27 years in incarceration, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" were revealed.
This involved seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could enable a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the detention, the magistrate said data from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his child.
His offspring, Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could "pray for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the potential of Bolsonaro's transfer to embassies near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of planning to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The court filing underscores that the United States embassy in the capital, the capital city, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist United States President President Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
The former president is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a detention review on the following day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that he be allowed to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he required regular treatment for lung conditions and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
He was found guilty of orchestrating a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the national vote to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a scheme which encompassed plans to kill his opponent and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The conspiracy was stopped because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. Lula was inaugurated without problem on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised public facilities in the national capital, Brazil's capital.
The law enforcement intervened and around 1,500 people were detained.
The justices found that the protesters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, reestablish control and return him to office.
At the period, the legal team called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.
He was also banned from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The former president called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 national vote.
