Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The one-time leader was sentenced of plotting a military coup in last fall and given more than 27 years in prison, but he continued under home detention pending appeals.
High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" emerged.
This involved seeking to disable his tracking device and a summons to a public vigil that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a document approving the custody, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a senator, called for a assembly of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your couch? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could offer prayers for his health and for the return of democracy in our country."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the potential of Bolsonaro's move to embassies near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brasilia, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist United States President Donald Trump, prompting him to enact a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being detained in a Federal Police station in the capital and will undergo a custody hearing on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that he be allowed to leave his home for medical care, saying he required ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the national vote to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a scheme which encompassed plans to kill the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.
The plot was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the military leaders. Lula was sworn in without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, many Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed public facilities in the federal district, the capital city.
The security forces took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The judges found that the protesters had been encouraged by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, restore order and bring him back to power.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.
He was also banned from running for public office until twenty-sixty - eight years after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 presidential election.
