Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.
The former head of state was convicted of orchestrating a government overthrow in September and given more than over two decades in jail, but he was staying under home detention pending appeals.
Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a precautionary step after fresh information emerged.
This involved seeking to disable his tracking device and a call for a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a possible escape.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a paperwork permitting the detention, the judge said information from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's aim to disable the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.
His child, his son Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
The senator wrote on social media on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could offer prayers for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's determination was the potential of his "relocation to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a record of arranging to request asylum through a embassy office", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 13km from his dwelling.
Global Responses
The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist United States President Trump, leading him to impose a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will have a custody hearing on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with tracking devices.
They also asked that Bolsonaro be allowed to depart his residence for medical care, saying he needed ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was convicted of leading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plot which involved plans to assassinate his opponent and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The scheme was stopped because it didn't receive the endorsement of the military leaders. His successor was took office without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, many his followers attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, the capital city.
The security forces took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.
The justices found that the rioters had been encouraged by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, restore order and bring him back to power.
At the moment, the legal team 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 aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 presidential election.
