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The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.

The ex-president was convicted of orchestrating a government overthrow in last fall and sentenced more than a 27-year term in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" emerged.

This included attempting to break his ankle monitor and a call for a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the detention, the judge said intelligence from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight.

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

His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.

His son wrote on online platforms on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or watch it all from your phone there on your couch? I invite you to battle with us."

He said the vigil would be so supporters could "pray for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the chance of Bolsonaro's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to request asylum through a consular facility", a statement said.

The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the US embassy in the capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 8 miles from his dwelling.

International Reactions

The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.

The former president is being held in a Federal Police station in the capital and will undergo a detention review on the next day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.

They also asked that the former president be authorized to leave his home for healthcare, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.

Details of Guilty Verdict

The former president was determined responsible of heading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the presidential race to his ideological adversary, President Lula.

High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plan which included plans to murder his opponent and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was thwarted because it failed to get the support of the armed forces officials. His successor was sworn in without incident on January 1st, 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, numerous his backers attacked and damaged official structures in the national capital, Brazil's capital.

The police intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.

The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by him whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, restore order and bring him back to power.

At the moment, the legal team called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also banned from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the next presidential race.