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Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The one-time leader was found guilty of planning a military coup in September and sentenced more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he was staying under home detention pending appeals.

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

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

Court Filing Details Escape Concerns

In a document approving the arrest, the judge said intelligence from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his escape.

This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his son.

His offspring, his son Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a meeting of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or see it all from your phone 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 nation."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the chance of Bolsonaro's move to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a background of arranging to ask for protection through a embassy office", a announcement said.

The court filing emphasizes that the US embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.

International Reactions

The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist American leader Donald Trump, leading him to enact a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.

They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be authorized to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of orchestrating a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the 2022 election to his political opponent, Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plan which involved plans to murder Lula and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been managing the former president's case.

The plot was prevented because it failed to get the support of the armed forces officials. His successor was took office without issue on January 1st, 2023.

But a week later, on January 8th, thousands of his followers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the capital, Brasília.

The police took action and around 1,500 people were arrested.

The justices found that the demonstrators had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to step in, restore order and reinstate his authority.

At the moment, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.

The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him running in the 2026 national vote.