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

The former head of state was found guilty of plotting a armed takeover in last fall and given more than over two decades in prison, but he continued under confinement pending appeals.

Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after "new facts" came to light.

This encompassed trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a public vigil that could "allow for a possible escape.

Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks

In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said information from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his flight.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his son.

His son, his son Flávio, who serves as a legislator, called for a assembly of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I call on you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the magistrate's decision was the chance of Bolsonaro's "relocation to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.

The court filing emphasizes that the United States embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is located around 13km from the former president's residence.

Global Responses

The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will undergo a detention review on the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with tracking devices.

They also petitioned that he be authorized to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he demanded regular treatment for lung conditions and other health problems.

Details of Guilty Verdict

He was found guilty of heading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the presidential race to his political opponent, President Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a scheme which included plans to assassinate Lula and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing his judicial proceedings.

The plot was prevented because it didn't receive the backing of the armed forces officials. The current president was took office without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a following week, on the eighth of January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed official structures in the capital, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.

The justices found that the protesters had been encouraged by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to step in, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the time, the legal team called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also banned from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.

The former president called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.