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Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.

The former head of state was convicted of orchestrating a military coup in September and sentenced more than a 27-year term in jail, but he was staying under home detention pending appeals.

Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" were revealed.

This involved attempting to break his tracking device and a invitation to a public vigil that could facilitate a possible escape.

Court Filing Details Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the arrest, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his escape.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the protest called by his son.

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

The senator wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your settee? I call on you to struggle with us."

He said the vigil 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 decision was the chance of Bolsonaro's transfer to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of arranging to ask for protection through a embassy office", a declaration said.

The court filing underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brasilia, is positioned around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist American leader Trump, leading him to impose a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.

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

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.

They also requested that the former president be allowed to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other illnesses.

Details of Guilty Verdict

The former president was found guilty of heading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the presidential race to his political opponent, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a scheme which encompassed plans to murder Lula and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was thwarted because it didn't receive the support of the army and air force commanders. His successor was sworn in without incident on the first day of 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised government buildings in the national capital, Brazil's capital.

The police took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.

The magistrates found that the protesters had been encouraged by him whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to take action, restore order and return him to office.

At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also barred from campaigning for office until twenty-sixty - eight years after the end of his sentence.

The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 presidential election.