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Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.

The one-time leader was sentenced of planning a government overthrow in the ninth month and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he remained under home detention pending appeals.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" emerged.

This included attempting to break his ankle monitor and a call for a demonstration that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns

In a filing authorising the custody, Justice Moraes said information from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his son.

His son, his son Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or observe everything from your phone there on your sofa? I urge you to struggle with us."

He said the vigil would be so backers could "pray for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the possibility of his move to foreign missions near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a embassy office", a statement said.

The legal document highlights that the US embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.

Worldwide Consequences

The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist American leader Donald Trump, prompting him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being detained in a national police facility in the capital and will experience a custody hearing on the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Top Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with tracking devices.

They also petitioned that he be authorized to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he needed ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other ailments.

Context of Sentencing

Bolsonaro was found guilty of leading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the national vote to his ideological adversary, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a scheme which involved plans to murder the current president and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The conspiracy was prevented because it couldn't obtain the support of the army and air force commanders. Lula was took office without issue on January 1st, 2023.

But a week later, on January 8th, numerous his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the capital, Brasília.

The security forces intervened and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.

The judges found that the protesters had been encouraged by him whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to take action, reestablish control and return him to office.

At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also barred from campaigning for office until twenty-sixty - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.

The former president called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 presidential election.