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Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.

The ex-president was sentenced of orchestrating a government overthrow in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in incarceration, but he continued under confinement pending court reviews.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" came to light.

This encompassed seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a filing authorising the arrest, the judge said data from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement 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 protest called by his son.

His child, Flávio, who serves as a senator, called for a gathering of his followers near his father's house to take place on the weekend.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or observe everything from your phone there on your settee? I call on you to struggle with us."

He said the vigil would be so followers could "pray for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the possibility of the former president's "relocation to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a background of arranging to ask for protection through a embassy office", a statement said.

The court filing emphasizes that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is positioned around 13km from the former president's residence.

Worldwide Consequences

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist American leader Trump, leading him to implement a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.

He is being held in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with tracking devices.

They also requested that he be authorized to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he needed frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of leading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the national vote to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a scheme which involved plans to assassinate Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.

The conspiracy was stopped because it didn't receive the endorsement of the military leaders. The current president was took office without incident on January 1st, 2023.

But a following week, on January 8th, many his backers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the national capital, Brasília.

The law enforcement stepped in and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.

The magistrates found that the protesters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, bring back stability and bring him back to power.

At the period, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also banned from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The ex-leader called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 presidential election.