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Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.

The former head of state was sentenced of planning a government overthrow in September and given more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he remained under home detention pending appeals.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.

This encompassed seeking to disable his tracking device and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said data from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his escape.

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

His offspring, Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a gathering of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Will you battle for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone there on your couch? I invite you to fight with us."

He said the gathering would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's decision was the possibility of his transfer to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of planning to seek refuge through a consular facility", a statement said.

The judicial paperwork highlights that the US embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is situated around 13km from his dwelling.

Worldwide Consequences

His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.

Bolsonaro is being held in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on Sunday.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also petitioned that he be authorized to leave his home for healthcare, saying he demanded ongoing care for lung conditions and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of leading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plot which involved plans to assassinate Lula and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The scheme was stopped because it couldn't obtain the backing of the military leaders. Lula was sworn in without issue on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on 8 January, many his followers stormed and vandalised official structures in the capital, Brasília.

The security forces stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.

The justices found that the demonstrators had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to take action, reestablish control and return him to office.

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

He was also barred from running for public office until the year 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.

The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 presidential election.