Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The ex-president was convicted of orchestrating a government overthrow in last fall and handed more than over two decades in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending legal challenges.
Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a preventative measure after recent developments were revealed.
This encompassed seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a invitation to a demonstration that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Court Filing Details Escape Concerns
In a document approving the custody, the judge said information from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his son.
His son, his son Flávio, who works as a senator, called for a gathering of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.
The senator wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Will you battle for your nation, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so supporters could "pray for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's ruling was the potential of his "relocation to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of planning to ask for protection through a consular facility", a statement said.
The legal document highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist US President Trump, leading him to impose a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the following day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that he be permitted to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he needed ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
The former president was found guilty of heading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plot which included plans to kill his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The conspiracy was prevented because it didn't receive the backing 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 invaded and destroyed government buildings in the federal district, the capital city.
The law enforcement stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, reestablish control and bring him back to power.
At the period, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from running for public office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him running in the 2026 national vote.
