Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The one-time leader was found guilty of plotting a armed takeover in September and given more than over two decades in prison, but he remained under confinement pending legal challenges.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after recent developments were revealed.
This encompassed attempting to break his ankle monitor and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could enable a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the custody, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's "intention to break the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his son.
His offspring, his son Flávio, who holds office as a senator, called for a gathering of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's transfer to foreign missions near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a history of organizing to request asylum through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The court filing underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brasilia, is situated around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Worldwide Consequences
His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative American leader President Trump, prompting him to implement a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro is being held in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will undergo a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that the former president be permitted to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he required regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was found guilty of orchestrating a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Lula.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a plot which included plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The scheme was prevented because it didn't receive the support of the army and air force commanders. Lula was inaugurated without incident on the first day of 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, many his followers stormed and vandalised official structures in the capital, the capital city.
The law enforcement stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from campaigning for office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the trial a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him running in the 2026 presidential election.
