Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The ex-president was convicted of planning a military coup in September and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under home detention pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" came to light.
This included attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a call for a demonstration that could enable a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the arrest, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the former leader's "intention to break the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his flight.
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
His son wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or see it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the magistrate's ruling was the possibility of his move to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a background of organizing to seek refuge through a consular facility", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brasilia, is situated around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist US President Trump, prompting him to impose a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.
He is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will undergo a custody hearing on the following day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that he be allowed to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he needed ongoing care for lung conditions and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was determined responsible of leading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in 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 included plans to murder his opponent and his running partner, Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was prevented because it didn't receive the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. The current president was sworn in without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, thousands of his backers attacked and damaged official structures in the national capital, the capital city.
The law enforcement stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.
The justices found that the protesters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the period, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The one-time head of state called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 presidential election.
