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Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was found guilty of plotting a government overthrow in September and given more than over two decades in jail, but he remained under house arrest pending appeals.

Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the move to detain the elderly politician was a preventative measure after recent developments emerged.

This included trying to remove his ankle monitor and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a chance to flee".

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his flight.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the protest called by his child.

His offspring, Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.

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

He said the demonstration would be so supporters could "pray for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the chance of Bolsonaro's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of arranging to ask for protection through a embassy office", a declaration said.

The judicial paperwork highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brasilia, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.

International Reactions

His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative American leader President Trump, leading him to impose a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.

He is being held in a national police facility in the capital and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the next day.

Latest Court Petitions

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

They also petitioned that he be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

The former president was found guilty of heading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the national vote to his left-wing rival, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a scheme which involved plans to murder the current president and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over the former president's case.

The plot was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the army and air force commanders. The current president was sworn in without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on January 8th, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged government buildings in the national capital, Brazil's capital.

The police intervened and around 1,500 people were detained.

The judges found that the protesters had been incited by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, 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 prohibited from running for public office until twenty-sixty - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.

The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 national vote.