Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The ex-president was found guilty of planning a military coup in the ninth month and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he was staying under home detention pending legal challenges.
Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" were revealed.
This involved seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a call for a supporters' gathering that could enable a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said information from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his flight.
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the protest called by his child.
His offspring, his son Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a meeting of his supporters near his father's house to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's decision was the potential of the former president's move to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a history of organizing to ask for protection through a consular facility", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 13km from his dwelling.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative United States President President Trump, causing him to implement a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being held in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will have a custody hearing on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
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 house arrest, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be allowed to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Context of Sentencing
The former president was found guilty of orchestrating a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his political opponent, Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a scheme which included plans to assassinate his opponent and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was stopped because it couldn't obtain the backing of the armed forces officials. His successor was took office without incident on the first day of 2023.
But a following week, on 8 January, many his followers attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, Brasília.
The law enforcement intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.
The judges found that the rioters had been encouraged by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from running for public office until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 presidential election.
