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Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The ex-president was convicted of planning a military coup in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he remained under home detention pending legal challenges.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.

This encompassed trying to remove his tracking device and a invitation to a public vigil that could "allow for a potential flight.

Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns

In a filing authorising the custody, the judge said data from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his escape.

This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the protest called by his child.

His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I urge you to battle with us."

He said the gathering would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's decision was the chance of Bolsonaro's transfer to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a record of organizing to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The legal document underscores that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is situated around 13km from the former president's residence.

International Reactions

The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative US President Trump, leading him to enact a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.

The former president is being held in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the following day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be allowed to leave his home for healthcare, saying he demanded regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of leading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his political opponent, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a scheme which involved plans to assassinate the current president and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.

The conspiracy was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the armed forces officials. The current president was inaugurated without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, thousands of his followers invaded and destroyed official structures in the federal district, Brazil's capital.

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

The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to step in, reestablish control and return him to office.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The former president called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 national vote.