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Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.

The one-time leader was convicted of planning a military coup in September and sentenced more than over two decades in prison, but he was staying under house arrest pending legal challenges.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after fresh information came to light.

This encompassed seeking to disable his tracking device and a call for a public vigil that could enable a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a document approving the custody, Justice Moraes said information from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his son.

His child, his son Flávio, who holds office as a senator, called for a assembly of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.

The senator wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Will you battle for your nation, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your couch? I call on you to struggle with us."

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

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the judge's ruling was the chance of Bolsonaro's transfer to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to ask for protection through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The judicial paperwork highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brazil's capital, is located around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

Worldwide Consequences

His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist American leader Donald Trump, prompting him to implement a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.

He is being detained in a national police facility in Brasilia and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.

They also requested that the former president be permitted to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

The former president was convicted of leading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the presidential race to his political opponent, President Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which included plans to murder the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.

The plot was stopped because it didn't receive the backing of the army and air force commanders. His successor was inaugurated without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, thousands of his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the capital, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.

The judges found that the protesters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, restore order and bring him back to power.

At the time, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also banned from running for public office until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the end of his sentence.

The ex-leader called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 presidential election.