Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The former head of state was sentenced of planning a military coup in September and given more than 27 years in jail, but he remained under house arrest pending appeals.
High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" were revealed.
This included attempting to break his ankle monitor and a invitation to a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the detention, the judge said intelligence from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the surveillance device to ensure success in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the protest called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.
The senator wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your couch? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the vigil would be so supporters could offer prayers for his health and for the return of democracy in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's determination was the potential of the former president's move to embassies near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a history of planning to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the US embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative United States President President Trump, causing him to implement a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro is being held in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the following day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the High Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other ailments.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was found guilty of heading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the presidential race to his ideological adversary, President Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plot which encompassed plans to kill his opponent 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 managing his judicial proceedings.
The scheme was stopped because it failed to get the support of the army and air force commanders. His successor was took office without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, numerous Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised official structures in the national capital, the capital city.
The security forces took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.
The judges found that the rioters had been provoked by him whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, restore order and reinstate his authority.
At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also barred from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the next presidential race.
