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The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.

The former head of state was sentenced of orchestrating a military coup in the ninth month and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending legal challenges.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a preventative measure after recent developments came to light.

This involved trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a demonstration that could enable a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a document approving the detention, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his escape.

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

His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

His son wrote on online platforms on Friday: Will you battle for your country, or see it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I invite you to fight with us."

He said the vigil would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.

The judicial paperwork underscores that the US embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is positioned around 8 miles from the former president's residence.

Global Responses

His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, prompting him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also petitioned that the former president be allowed to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he needed regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

The former president was convicted of leading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, Lula.

High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which involved plans to assassinate his opponent and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was prevented because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the military leaders. Lula was sworn in without issue on 1 January 2023.

But a following week, on January 8th, many his followers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the national capital, Brasília.

The law enforcement stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.

The justices found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by him whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.

At the period, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".

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

The ex-leader called the trial a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 presidential election.