Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The former head of state was found guilty of orchestrating a armed takeover in last fall and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.
High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.
This included trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a call for a demonstration that could enable a potential flight.
Judicial Records Show Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the detention, the magistrate said data from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's plan to remove the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.
His child, Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your country, or observe everything from your phone there on your settee? I invite you to struggle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the possibility of the former president's transfer to foreign missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a background of organizing to seek refuge through a consular facility", a announcement said.
The court filing underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist US President Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
He is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will have a custody hearing on the next day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that the former president be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
He was determined responsible of leading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which encompassed plans to kill Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.
The scheme was thwarted because it didn't receive the backing of the armed forces officials. Lula was took office without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a seven days after, on 8 January, many Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged public facilities in the national capital, the capital city.
The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.
The justices found that the protesters had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to take action, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the time, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from running for public office until twenty-sixty - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the next presidential race.
