Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The ex-president was found guilty of plotting a armed takeover in the ninth month and given more than 27 years in jail, but he remained under house arrest pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after fresh information came to light.
This encompassed attempting to break his tracking device and a call for a public vigil that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his escape.
This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His child, his son Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a assembly of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on Friday: Will you battle for your country, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your couch? I call on you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so backers could "pray for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the chance of the former president's move to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a background of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork highlights that the US embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is located around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President Trump, prompting him to enact a fifty percent tax on goods coming from Brazil.
He is being detained in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will have a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
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 digital surveillance.
They also petitioned that the former president be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he needed frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was found guilty of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his political opponent, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which encompassed plans to kill the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was prevented because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the armed forces officials. Lula was took office without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised government buildings in the federal district, the capital city.
The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were detained.
The judges found that the rioters had been encouraged by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The former president called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 national vote.
