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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 armed takeover in the ninth month and given more than 27 years in prison, but he remained under house arrest pending appeals.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after fresh information came to light.

This involved trying to remove his tracking device and a call for a public vigil that could "allow for a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a paperwork permitting the detention, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to ensure success in his escape.

This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the protest called by his offspring.

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

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or see it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I urge you to fight with us."

He said the vigil would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the home, considering that the probes revealed a record of arranging to ask for protection through a consular facility", a announcement said.

The court filing underscores that the US embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is situated around 13km from his dwelling.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist United States President Donald Trump, prompting him to enact a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.

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

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.

They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be permitted to depart his residence for medical care, saying he needed frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.

Background on Conviction

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

High Court judges said that he was aware of a plan which encompassed plans to kill the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was stopped because it couldn't obtain the support of the armed forces officials. Lula was inaugurated without problem on January 1st, 2023.

But a seven days after, on 8 January, many Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed official structures in the federal district, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.

The judges found that the protesters had been provoked by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, restore order and reinstate his authority.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.

He was also banned from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

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