Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was convicted of planning a military coup in September and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he was staying under home detention pending appeals.
Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a preventative measure after recent developments were revealed.
This encompassed attempting to break his tracking device and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a potential flight.
Judicial Records Show Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the custody, Justice Moraes said information from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a legislator, called for a gathering of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
The senator wrote on online platforms on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or observe everything from your phone there on your sofa? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the potential of his "relocation to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a history of arranging to request asylum through a consular facility", a statement said.
The court filing emphasizes that the US embassy in the capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.
Global Responses
His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist United States President Trump, leading him to enact a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being held in a Federal Police station in the capital and will have a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be allowed to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
The former president was convicted of heading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plot which involved plans to kill Lula and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The plot was stopped because it couldn't obtain the support of the army and air force commanders. The current president was sworn in without problem on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, the capital city.
The law enforcement took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.
The judges found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to take action, restore order and return him to office.
At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also banned from running for public office until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the end of his sentence.
The one-time head of state called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 national vote.
