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The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.

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

High Court Judge the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a preventative measure after fresh information came to light.

This encompassed trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a summons to a public vigil that could facilitate a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the custody, the judge said intelligence from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to ensure success in his flight.

This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his offspring.

His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his backers 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 observe everything from your mobile device there on your couch? I urge you to battle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could "pray for his health and for the return of democracy in our country."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the judge's ruling was the possibility of Bolsonaro's move to embassies near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of planning to ask for protection through a embassy office", a announcement said.

The court filing underscores that the United States embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is positioned around 13km from the former president's residence.

Worldwide Consequences

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President President Trump, causing him to enact a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will experience a custody hearing on Sunday.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Top Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.

They also petitioned that he be permitted to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he required ongoing care for lung conditions and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was found guilty of leading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the national vote to his political opponent, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plot which encompassed plans to kill Lula and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been presiding over the former president's case.

The plot was prevented because it couldn't obtain the backing of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without incident on the first day of 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, many his followers invaded and destroyed public facilities in the federal district, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.

The judges found that the protesters had been provoked 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 over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.

He was also barred from running for public office until 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The one-time head of state called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.