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Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.

The ex-president was convicted of orchestrating a military coup in the ninth month and handed more than 27 years in incarceration, but he continued under house arrest pending legal challenges.

Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after fresh information emerged.

This involved seeking to disable his tracking device and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his escape.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his child.

His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a legislator, called for a assembly of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.

His son wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Will you battle for your nation, or observe everything from your phone there on your couch? I invite you to battle with us."

He said the gathering would be so backers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the potential of his "relocation to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The legal document underscores that the United States embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is located around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, leading him to implement a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

The former president is being detained in a national police facility in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on the following day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with tracking devices.

They also petitioned that he be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he demanded ongoing care for lung conditions and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of leading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the presidential race to his ideological adversary, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a scheme which involved plans to assassinate his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been presiding over the former president's case.

The conspiracy was thwarted because it didn't receive the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. His successor was inaugurated without incident on January 1st, 2023.

But a following week, on January 8th, many his backers attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, the capital city.

The security forces took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.

The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to step in, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the time, the legal team called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.

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

The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.