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The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.

The ex-president was found guilty of orchestrating a armed takeover in the ninth month and given more than over two decades in prison, but he was staying under confinement pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after "new facts" came to light.

This involved attempting to break his ankle monitor and a summons to a public vigil that could "allow for a potential flight.

Court Filing Details Escape Concerns

In a document approving the detention, the judge said information from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the surveillance device to ensure success in his escape.

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

His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.

His son wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your couch? I urge you to fight with us."

He said the gathering would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the return of democracy in our land."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's ruling was the potential of the former president's move to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a history of organizing to ask for protection through a consular facility", a announcement said.

The legal document underscores that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is located around 13km from his dwelling.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist United States President Donald Trump, leading him to enact a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.

Bolsonaro is being held in a Federal Police station in the capital and will have a custody hearing on Sunday.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.

They also requested that the former president be allowed to depart his residence for medical care, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was convicted of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, President Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plan which involved plans to assassinate Lula and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was prevented because it failed to get the support of the military leaders. His successor was took office without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on January 8th, numerous his backers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the federal district, Brasília.

The police took action and around 1,500 people were arrested.

The justices found that the protesters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, restore order and bring him back to power.

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

He was also barred from campaigning for office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.

The former president called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the next presidential race.