Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The ex-president was found guilty of orchestrating a government overthrow in September and given more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he remained under house arrest pending appeals.
High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after fresh information emerged.
This included trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could enable a chance to flee".
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the arrest, Justice Moraes said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.
His child, his son Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your settee? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the vigil would be so backers could offer prayers for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the possibility of his transfer to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a history of organizing to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the US embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is situated around 13km from his dwelling.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative American leader Donald Trump, causing him to implement a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.
He is being kept in a national police facility in Brasilia and will experience a detention review on the next day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that he be allowed to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he demanded ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was found guilty of heading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a scheme which encompassed plans to murder Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was thwarted because it didn't receive the support of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without problem on the first day of 2023.
But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, many his followers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the federal district, the capital city.
The security forces took action 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 country's army to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the end of his sentence.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him participating in the next presidential race.
