Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was convicted of plotting a armed takeover in the ninth month and sentenced more than a 27-year term in jail, but he remained under confinement pending appeals.
High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" emerged.
This involved trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a call for a public vigil that could facilitate a possible escape.
Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns
In a paperwork permitting the detention, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's plan to remove the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his escape.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his offspring.
His child, his son Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a meeting of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your settee? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could offer prayers for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's determination was the possibility of his transfer to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of arranging to seek refuge through a consular facility", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the US embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is situated around 13km from his dwelling.
Worldwide Consequences
His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President Trump, prompting him to implement a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will experience a custody hearing on the following day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the High Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that the former president be authorized to leave his home for healthcare, saying he required frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
The former president was determined responsible of leading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a scheme which included plans to assassinate his opponent and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The conspiracy was stopped because it couldn't obtain the backing of the armed forces officials. His successor was sworn in without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, numerous Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, Brasília.
The law enforcement took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.
The judges found that the rioters had been encouraged by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, restore order and return him to office.
At the moment, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from running for public office until twenty-sixty - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 national vote.
