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Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was found guilty of orchestrating a military coup in last fall and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he was staying under home detention pending legal challenges.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" were revealed.

This involved trying to remove his ankle monitor and a summons to a demonstration that could enable a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the detention, the judge said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention 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 disorder caused by the gathering called by his offspring.

His son, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.

His son wrote on online platforms on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone there on your settee? I urge you to struggle with us."

He said the vigil would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's ruling was the possibility of his transfer to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of planning to seek refuge through a consular facility", a statement said.

The judicial paperwork underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

Worldwide Consequences

The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist United States President Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will experience a detention review on the following day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.

They also asked that the former president be authorized to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he needed regular treatment for lung conditions and other illnesses.

Background on Conviction

The former president was found guilty of orchestrating a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a scheme which involved plans to kill his opponent and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was prevented because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on 8 January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed government buildings in the federal district, the capital city.

The security forces took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.

The magistrates found that the protesters had been incited by him whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, restore order and bring him back to power.

At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

He was also barred from running for public office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.

The former president called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 national vote.