Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The former head of state was convicted of plotting a military coup in last fall and sentenced more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he remained under confinement pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after fresh information were revealed.
This included attempting to break his tracking device and a invitation to a public vigil that could facilitate a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the detention, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the former leader's "intention to break the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the protest called by his child.
His child, Flávio, who works as a senator, called for a assembly of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on digital networks on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or see it all from your phone there on your couch? I urge you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's ruling was the potential of the former president's transfer to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of arranging to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The legal document underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brasilia, is situated around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will undergo a detention review on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he required ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other ailments.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was convicted of heading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a scheme which encompassed plans to murder the current president and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was stopped because it failed to get the support of the army and air force commanders. His successor was inaugurated without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on the eighth of January, numerous his backers invaded and destroyed official structures in the national capital, Brazil's capital.
The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, the legal team called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited 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 participating in the 2026 presidential election.
