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The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.

The one-time leader was found guilty of planning a government overthrow in last fall and given more than 27 years in prison, but he remained under home detention pending legal challenges.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" were revealed.

This encompassed seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a summons to a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.

Court Filing Details Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the custody, the judge said information from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his son.

His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a senator, 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 Friday: Will you battle for your country, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the vigil would be so backers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the judge's determination was the chance of the former president's "relocation to embassies near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a background of arranging to ask for protection through a consular facility", a statement said.

The judicial paperwork highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brasilia, is situated around 8 miles from his dwelling.

International Reactions

His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative US President Donald Trump, causing him to impose a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will experience a detention review on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.

They also requested that he be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was found guilty of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 election to his political opponent, Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a scheme which included plans to kill Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.

The conspiracy was thwarted because it failed to get the support of the military leaders. The current president was inaugurated without issue on 1 January 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, numerous his followers attacked and damaged public facilities 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 him whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, reestablish control and bring him back to power.

At the moment, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.

He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.

The former president called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.