Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The ex-president was convicted of planning a government overthrow in the ninth month and given more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he remained under house arrest pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after fresh information came to light.
This included seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a call for a demonstration that could enable a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the detention, the judge said intelligence from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to ensure success in his escape.
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.
His son, his son Flávio, who holds office as a legislator, called for a meeting of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
The senator wrote on online platforms on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or see it all from your phone there on your sofa? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could "pray for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's decision was the potential of Bolsonaro's move to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a history of planning to request asylum through a embassy office", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the US embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, leading him to implement a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being detained in a national police facility in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be permitted to leave his home for healthcare, saying he required frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of heading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plan which included plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The conspiracy was prevented because it failed to get the backing of the military leaders. His successor was sworn in without problem on the first day of 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, thousands of his backers attacked and damaged official structures in the national capital, the capital city.
The law enforcement took action and around 1,500 people were detained.
The judges found that the protesters had been provoked by him whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, reestablish control and return him to office.
At the period, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also barred from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.
The one-time head of state called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him running in the 2026 presidential election.
