Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The one-time leader was convicted of plotting a government overthrow in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in jail, but he remained under confinement pending court reviews.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" came to light.
This encompassed attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a call for a demonstration that could enable a chance to flee".
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the custody, the judge said intelligence from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his escape.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a legislator, called for a assembly of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on digital networks on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or observe everything from your phone there on your sofa? I call on you to fight with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could "pray for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's determination was the chance of his move to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a record of planning to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The legal document underscores that the US embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is situated around 13km from the former president's residence.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist United States President Trump, causing him to implement a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will have a detention review on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that he be authorized to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he needed frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was found guilty of leading a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plan which involved plans to kill Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The plot was thwarted because it didn't receive the backing of the armed forces officials. Lula was sworn in without issue on the first day of 2023.
But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, many his followers stormed and vandalised official structures in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The security forces took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been provoked by him whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office.
At the moment, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also barred from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 presidential election.
