Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The former head of state was sentenced of plotting a military coup in the ninth month and sentenced more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he remained under home detention pending court reviews.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.
This included trying to remove his ankle monitor and a call for a demonstration that could enable a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the detention, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his child.
His offspring, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
The senator wrote on digital networks on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or see it all from your phone there on your settee? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's ruling was the potential of his "relocation to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a record of planning to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the US embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is situated around 13km from the former president's residence.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist US President President Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will undergo a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also asked that he be allowed to leave his home for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
He was determined responsible of leading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plan which encompassed plans to assassinate the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was stopped because it didn't receive the support of the military leaders. The current president was inaugurated without problem on the first day of 2023.
But a seven days after, on 8 January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The law enforcement stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been encouraged by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 national vote.
