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Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was found guilty of planning a government overthrow in last fall and sentenced more than a 27-year term in prison, but he continued under confinement pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" emerged.

This encompassed seeking to disable his tracking device and a summons to a public vigil that could enable a possible escape.

Court Filing Details Escape Concerns

In a filing authorising the arrest, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the former leader's plan to remove the tracking monitor to ensure success in his getaway".

This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the protest called by his child.

His son, Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.

The senator wrote on online platforms on Friday: Will you battle for your country, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your settee? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's determination was the possibility of the former president's transfer to embassies near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a embassy office", a declaration said.

The judicial paperwork underscores that the US embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President Donald Trump, prompting him to impose a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.

He is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will have a imprisonment assessment on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with tracking devices.

They also requested that the former president be allowed to leave his home for medical care, saying he needed ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was convicted of leading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.

High Court judges said that he knew of a scheme which encompassed plans to murder his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.

The plot was prevented because it failed to get the support of the military leaders. Lula was sworn in without issue on January 1st, 2023.

But a week later, on January 8th, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised government buildings in the federal district, Brasília.

The police stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.

The judges found that the protesters had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.

He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.

The one-time head of state called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 national vote.