Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was convicted of plotting a military coup in the ninth month and given more than 27 years in jail, but he remained under home detention pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.
This encompassed trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a call for a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the detention, Justice Moraes said information from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his son.
His child, Flávio, who serves as a senator, called for a assembly of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
The senator wrote on online platforms on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone there on your settee? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a history of planning to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the US embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is located around 8 miles from his dwelling.
Global Responses
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist American leader President Trump, causing him to impose a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will undergo a custody hearing on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that the former president be authorized to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he needed ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
He was convicted of heading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plan which involved plans to murder his opponent and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing the former president's case.
The plot was prevented because it failed to get the support of the military leaders. The current president was inaugurated without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on the eighth of January, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised public facilities in the capital, Brasília.
The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The judges found that the demonstrators had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, reestablish control and bring him back to power.
At the moment, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also banned from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 national vote.
