Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The former head of state was found guilty of planning a military coup in the ninth month and sentenced more than a 27-year term in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" emerged.
This included seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a summons to a public vigil that could facilitate a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the custody, Justice Moraes said data from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the protest called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his supporters near his father's house to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or see it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the demonstration would be so followers could "pray for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of his "relocation to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork highlights that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is situated around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Global Responses
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist American leader Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro is being held in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a detention review on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the High Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with tracking devices.
They also asked that Bolsonaro be allowed to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he demanded ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
He was convicted of leading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the national vote to his political opponent, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plot which included plans to kill his opponent and his running partner, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.
The plot was prevented because it couldn't obtain the backing of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, thousands of his backers attacked and damaged official structures in the capital, the capital city.
The security forces intervened and around 1,500 people were detained.
The judges found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, reestablish control and return him to office.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the next presidential race.
