The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.
The ex-president was found guilty of planning a armed takeover in September and sentenced more than over two decades in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending court reviews.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after fresh information came to light.
This included trying to remove his ankle monitor and a call for a demonstration that could enable a potential flight.
Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the arrest, the judge said intelligence from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the former leader's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to secure accomplishment in his flight.
This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a senator, called for a assembly of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms 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 well-being and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's ruling was the potential of Bolsonaro's transfer to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a background of organizing to request asylum through a consular facility", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the US embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President Donald Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
He is being held in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a custody hearing on the following day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that he be permitted to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he needed ongoing care for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
The former president was convicted of leading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the 2022 election to his political opponent, President Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plot which involved plans to murder Lula and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The plot was thwarted because it didn't receive the endorsement of the armed forces officials. His successor was sworn in without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, many his backers stormed and vandalised official structures in the federal district, Brazil's capital.
The security forces stepped in and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The justices found that the rioters had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, restore order and bring him back to power.
At the moment, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also banned from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the trial a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 national vote.
