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Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.

The ex-president was sentenced of planning a military coup in last fall and given more than 27 years in incarceration, but he was staying under confinement pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a precautionary step after fresh information came to light.

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

Court Filing Details Escape Risks

In a filing authorising the detention, Justice Moraes said information from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his flight.

This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.

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

The senator wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or watch it all from your phone there on your couch? I invite you to battle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's decision was the possibility of the former president's "relocation to foreign missions near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a background of planning to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The court filing emphasizes that the United States embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President Donald Trump, prompting him to enact a fifty percent tax on goods coming from Brazil.

He is being detained in a national police facility in Brasilia and will have a detention review on the next day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.

They also requested that he be permitted to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other illnesses.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was convicted of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the presidential race to his political opponent, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plan which included plans to kill the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The conspiracy was prevented because it didn't receive the backing of the army and air force commanders. His successor was took office without incident on January 1st, 2023.

But a seven days after, on January 8th, numerous Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised government buildings in the federal district, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.

The justices found that the rioters had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to take action, restore order and reinstate his authority.

At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also banned from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The ex-leader called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him running in the next presidential race.