Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The one-time leader was convicted of orchestrating a armed takeover in September and handed more than over two decades in incarceration, but he was staying under confinement pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after fresh information were revealed.
This involved attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could enable a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the arrest, the magistrate said information from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the former leader's "intention to break the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his son.
His son, Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or see it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's transfer to embassies near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a history of organizing to ask for protection through a consular facility", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork highlights that the US embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist American leader Donald Trump, prompting him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
The former president is being kept in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will have a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that he be authorized to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he required frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was found guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the presidential race to his ideological adversary, Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plot which encompassed plans to assassinate the current president and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.
The plot was stopped because it didn't receive the support of the armed forces officials. Lula was sworn in without problem on January 1st, 2023.
But a following week, on 8 January, numerous his followers attacked and damaged official structures in the capital, Brasília.
The security forces intervened and around 1,500 people were detained.
The judges found that the protesters had been provoked by him whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, restore order and return him to office.
At the time, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 presidential election.
