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Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.

The former head of state was found guilty of orchestrating a armed takeover in last fall and given more than over two decades in prison, but he was staying under house arrest pending legal challenges.

Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after fresh information came to light.

This encompassed trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a paperwork permitting the custody, Justice Moraes said information from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his escape.

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

His offspring, Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a gathering of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on last Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone there on your couch? I invite you to battle with us."

He said the gathering would be so backers could offer prayers for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's move to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a record of arranging to ask for protection through a embassy office", a statement said.

The court filing highlights that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.

International Reactions

The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative United States President President Trump, prompting him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

The former president is being held in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with tracking devices.

They also asked that Bolsonaro be allowed to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he demanded regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other ailments.

Details of Guilty Verdict

Bolsonaro was found guilty of heading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plot which encompassed plans to assassinate the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The conspiracy was prevented because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the military leaders. Lula was sworn in without issue on the first day of 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, many his followers attacked and damaged government buildings in the national capital, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement intervened and around 1,500 people were arrested.

The magistrates found that the protesters had been incited by him whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.

At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also barred from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

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