The former Brazilian president taken into custody after being declared a flight risk
Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was found guilty of plotting a government overthrow in last fall and given more than 27 years in jail, but he continued under home detention pending appeals.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after recent developments were revealed.
This involved seeking to disable his tracking device and a summons to a public vigil that could enable a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the arrest, the judge said data from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the possibility of the former president's transfer to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a embassy office", a declaration said.
The court filing highlights that the US embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is located around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist American leader President Trump, leading him to implement a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being held in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will have a custody hearing on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with digital surveillance.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be allowed to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he needed ongoing care for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was convicted of leading a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, President Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plan which involved plans to assassinate Lula and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The plot was stopped because it didn't receive the backing of the army and air force commanders. Lula was sworn in without issue on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, numerous Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised official structures in the capital, Brasília.
The police took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The judges found that the demonstrators had been provoked by him whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also barred from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 presidential election.