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The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.

The one-time leader was convicted of planning a armed takeover in September and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under confinement pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a preventative measure after fresh information were revealed.

This included seeking to disable his tracking device and a call for a supporters' gathering that could enable a chance to flee".

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a document approving the arrest, the judge said data from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the former leader's "intention to break the tracking monitor to ensure success in his escape.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the protest called by his offspring.

His son, his son Flávio, who holds office as a legislator, called for a assembly of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.

His son wrote on social media on the previous day: Will you battle for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your couch? I call on you to fight with us."

He said the demonstration would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's move to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.

The judicial paperwork underscores that the US embassy in the capital, Brazil's capital, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist United States President Donald Trump, causing him to impose 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 the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.

They also requested that the former president be allowed to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he required ongoing care for lung conditions and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

He was convicted of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the national vote to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plan which encompassed plans to kill his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, 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 plot was prevented because it failed to get the endorsement of the armed forces officials. Lula was took office without problem on January 1st, 2023.

But a following week, on January 8th, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised official structures in the capital, the capital city.

The security forces intervened and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.

The judges found that the protesters had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, bring back stability and bring him back to power.

At the period, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".

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

The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 national vote.