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The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was found guilty of orchestrating a military coup in September and given more than 27 years in prison, but he remained under house arrest pending appeals.

Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" were revealed.

This included seeking to disable his tracking device and a summons to a demonstration that could facilitate a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns

In a filing authorising the arrest, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his escape.

This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his child.

His offspring, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

His son wrote on social media on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I call on you to battle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so supporters could offer prayers for his health and for the return of democracy in our land."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's decision was the potential of the former president's transfer to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of arranging to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.

The legal document emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, the capital city, is situated around 8 miles from the former president's residence.

Global Responses

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

He is being kept in a national police facility in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.

They also requested that the former president be authorized to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he required ongoing care for lung conditions and other health problems.

Details of Guilty Verdict

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plan which encompassed plans to assassinate the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over the former president's case.

The plot was prevented because it didn't receive the backing of the army and air force commanders. The current president was sworn in without incident on January 1st, 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised public facilities in the federal district, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.

The justices found that the rioters had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, restore order and reinstate his authority.

At the moment, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.

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

The ex-leader called the trial a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 national vote.