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Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was found guilty of planning a government overthrow in September and handed more than a 27-year term in jail, but he continued under confinement pending court reviews.

Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after recent developments emerged.

This encompassed seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a summons to a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his escape.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his child.

His offspring, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.

The senator wrote on digital networks on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your couch? I urge you to fight with us."

He said the vigil would be so supporters could "pray for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the chance of the former president's "relocation to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of planning to request asylum through a consular facility", a statement said.

The judicial paperwork highlights that the US embassy in the capital, the capital city, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.

Worldwide Consequences

His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist American leader Donald Trump, causing him to impose a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being detained in a national police facility in Brasilia and will experience a detention review on the next day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with tracking devices.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be permitted to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he required ongoing care for lung conditions and other illnesses.

Background on Conviction

The former president was determined responsible of orchestrating a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the national vote to his political opponent, President Lula.

High Court judges said that he was aware of a plot which involved plans to assassinate his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The conspiracy was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without issue on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, many Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed official structures in the national capital, the capital city.

The law enforcement intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.

The judges found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to step in, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also banned from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.

The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 national vote.