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

The one-time leader was convicted of plotting a government overthrow in September and sentenced more than 27 years in jail, but he remained under confinement pending court reviews.

Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after recent developments emerged.

This encompassed trying to remove his tracking device and a invitation to a demonstration that could enable a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a document approving the arrest, the judge said information from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's "intention to break the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the protest called by his offspring.

His son, his son Flávio, who holds office as a senator, called for a gathering of his backers near his father's house to take place on the weekend.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Will you battle for your country, or see it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I call on you to battle with us."

He said the gathering would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the magistrate's decision was the possibility of his transfer to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to ask for protection through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The court filing highlights that the United States embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.

Worldwide Consequences

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist American leader President Trump, leading him to enact a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

Bolsonaro is being kept in a national police facility in Brasilia and will have a detention review on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

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

They also requested that the former president be allowed to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other illnesses.

Background on Conviction

He was convicted of leading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Lula.

High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which included plans to murder Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing the former president's case.

The plot was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the military leaders. The current president was took office without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a following week, on January 8th, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised government buildings in the capital, Brasília.

The law enforcement intervened and around 1,500 people were detained.

The justices found that the rioters had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, restore order and return him to office.

At the time, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also banned from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.

The ex-leader called the trial a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the next presidential race.