Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.
The former head of state was found guilty of plotting a armed takeover in last fall and given more than over two decades in jail, but he remained under confinement pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" came to light.
This involved trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a call for a demonstration that could facilitate a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a document approving the arrest, the magistrate said intelligence from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's "intention to break the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His son, his son Flávio, who holds office as a senator, called for a meeting of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.
The senator wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your settee? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so supporters could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to foreign missions near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of planning to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the US embassy in the capital, the capital city, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative American leader Donald Trump, prompting him to enact a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.
The former president is being held in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that he be permitted to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he required frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was convicted of orchestrating a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the national vote to his ideological adversary, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plan which encompassed plans to murder the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The scheme was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the army and air force commanders. His successor was sworn in without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, numerous his backers stormed and vandalised official structures in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The security forces took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.
The judges found that the demonstrators had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to step in, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the period, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him participating in the next presidential race.
