Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The ex-president was convicted of orchestrating a government overthrow in September and given more than 27 years in prison, but he remained under confinement pending legal challenges.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after fresh information emerged.
This encompassed seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a call for a demonstration that could "allow for a possible escape.
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a document approving the detention, the magistrate said data from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or watch it all from your phone there on your settee? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the chance of Bolsonaro's move to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of organizing to seek refuge through a embassy office", a statement said.
The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brasilia, is positioned around 13km from his dwelling.
Global Responses
His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist United States President President Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will have a custody hearing on the next day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also asked that Bolsonaro be authorized to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he required regular treatment for lung conditions and other ailments.
Context of Sentencing
The former president was determined responsible of orchestrating a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a scheme which encompassed plans to assassinate Lula and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing the former president's case.
The plot was prevented because it couldn't obtain the backing of the armed forces officials. The current president was inaugurated without problem on the first day of 2023.
But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed government buildings in the federal district, the capital city.
The police intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been provoked by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, restore order and bring him back to power.
At the period, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him running in the next presidential race.
