Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.
The former head of state was sentenced of plotting a military coup in September and handed more than a 27-year term in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" came to light.
This encompassed seeking to disable his tracking device and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his son.
His son, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your couch? I urge you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so backers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the potential of the former president's "relocation to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The court filing underscores that the US embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 8 miles from his dwelling.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist United States President Trump, causing him to implement a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that he be authorized to leave his home for medical care, saying he required ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was convicted of heading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his political opponent, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a plan which encompassed plans to assassinate his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was stopped because it failed to get the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. Lula was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, many Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed official structures in the national capital, the capital city.
The security forces stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.
The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been incited by him whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, reestablish control and return him to office.
At the time, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 presidential election.
