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Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.

The former head of state was convicted of planning a military coup in the ninth month and given more than 27 years in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending court reviews.

Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after recent developments emerged.

This encompassed trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a call for a demonstration that could facilitate a possible escape.

Court Filing Details Escape Risks

In a filing authorising the arrest, the judge said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the tracking monitor to ensure success in his escape.

This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the protest called by his son.

His offspring, his son Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a assembly of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or see it all from your phone there on your settee? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could "pray for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the possibility of Bolsonaro's transfer to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a record of arranging to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.

The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the US embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is located around 13km from the former president's residence.

International Reactions

His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative US President Trump, leading him to impose a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the High Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with tracking devices.

They also requested that he be authorized to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he needed regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other health problems.

Context of Sentencing

He was determined responsible of leading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the presidential race to his political opponent, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plot which involved plans to kill the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.

The plot was stopped because it didn't receive the endorsement of the military leaders. The current president was took office without issue on January 1st, 2023.

But a following week, on January 8th, many his backers invaded and destroyed official structures in the capital, the capital city.

The police intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.

The magistrates found that the rioters had been incited by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.

At the time, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

He was also prohibited from running for public office until 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.

The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 national vote.