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Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was found guilty of planning a military coup in September and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a safety action after fresh information emerged.

This encompassed trying to remove his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could facilitate a potential flight.

Court Filing Details Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the arrest, Justice Moraes said data from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his flight.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his offspring.

His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a senator, called for a meeting of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

His son wrote on digital networks on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I call on you to struggle with us."

He said the gathering would be so followers could "pray for his health and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the judge's determination was the chance of Bolsonaro's move to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of organizing to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The legal document emphasizes that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is located around 13km from the former president's residence.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative American leader Trump, prompting him to impose a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being detained in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will experience a detention review 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 serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.

They also petitioned that the former president be permitted to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he required regular treatment for lung conditions and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was convicted of heading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plan which encompassed plans to murder Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing the former president's case.

The plot was stopped because it couldn't obtain the support of the armed forces officials. The current president was inaugurated without problem on the first day of 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, many his backers invaded and destroyed official structures in the federal district, the capital city.

The law enforcement stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.

The magistrates found that the protesters had been encouraged by him whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.

At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.

The former president called the court case a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him running in the 2026 national vote.