Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The ex-president was sentenced of planning a armed takeover in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in incarceration, but he was staying under confinement pending legal challenges.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a preventative measure after fresh information emerged.
This involved trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a public vigil that could "allow for a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Escape Concerns
In a paperwork permitting the custody, the judge said intelligence from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the protest called by his son.
His child, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone there on your sofa? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could "pray for his health and for the return of democracy in our land."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the magistrate's decision was the possibility of the former president's "relocation to embassies near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a background of organizing to seek refuge through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The court filing emphasizes that the US embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
Global Responses
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist United States President President Trump, leading him to implement a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the next day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be permitted to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he demanded ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
The former president was determined responsible of heading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his political opponent, Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plan which encompassed plans to murder his opponent and his running partner, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.
The conspiracy was prevented because it failed to get the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. Lula was sworn in without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, many his backers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, the capital city.
The security forces took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.
The justices found that the demonstrators had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also banned from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 national vote.
