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The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.

The former head of state was found guilty of planning a government overthrow in last fall and given more than over two decades in jail, but he was staying under confinement pending legal challenges.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" came to light.

This encompassed attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a summons to a demonstration that could enable a potential flight.

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a paperwork permitting the custody, Justice Moraes said information from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".

This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.

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

His son wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your country, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your couch? I call on you to struggle with us."

He said the gathering would be so supporters could offer prayers for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the chance of Bolsonaro's "relocation to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a history of planning to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.

The court filing underscores that the US embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.

Worldwide Consequences

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative US President President Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being held in a national police facility in Brasilia and will experience a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.

They also requested that the former president be allowed to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he needed frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of orchestrating a scheme 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 was aware of a plot which involved plans to assassinate his opponent and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.

The conspiracy was prevented because it didn't receive the support of the armed forces officials. His successor was sworn in without incident on January 1st, 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised public facilities in the federal district, the capital city.

The law enforcement intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.

The justices found that the protesters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to step in, restore order and return him to office.

At the moment, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.

He was also barred from running for public office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 national vote.