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Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.

The one-time leader was found guilty of orchestrating a military coup in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.

Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the move to detain the elderly politician was a precautionary step after fresh information came to light.

This involved seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a call for a demonstration that could facilitate a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said data from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement suggested the former leader'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 child.

His offspring, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.

His son wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Will you battle for your country, or see it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I call on you to struggle with us."

He said the gathering would be so backers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the magistrate's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of arranging to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The court filing highlights that the US embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is situated around 13km from his dwelling.

Global Responses

His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist US President President Trump, prompting him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

He is being detained in a Federal Police station in the capital and will undergo a custody hearing on Sunday.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with tracking devices.

They also petitioned that the former president be authorized to leave his home for medical care, saying he needed ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.

Background on Conviction

He was found guilty of orchestrating a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, President Lula.

High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a scheme which encompassed plans to murder the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been overseeing the former president's case.

The plot was prevented because it couldn't obtain the support of the military leaders. His successor was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on January 8th, thousands of his followers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the federal district, Brasília.

The law enforcement took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.

The judges found that the protesters had been provoked by him 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 barred from seeking elected position until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.

The ex-leader called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the next presidential race.