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The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.

The former head of state was sentenced of plotting a government overthrow in last fall and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" came to light.

This encompassed seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a filing authorising the detention, the magistrate said intelligence from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to secure accomplishment in his getaway".

This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his offspring.

His child, Flávio, who holds office as a senator, called for a assembly of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.

The senator wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I urge you to fight with us."

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

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the possibility of the former president's move to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a record of planning to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.

The court filing emphasizes that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist American leader Donald Trump, prompting him to impose a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on the next day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with tracking devices.

They also asked that the former president be permitted to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he needed regular treatment for lung conditions and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was found guilty of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plan which involved plans to kill the current president and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the High Court judge 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 incident on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on the eighth of January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged public facilities in the national capital, Brazil's capital.

The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.

The judges found that the rioters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.

He was also banned from running for public office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.

The former president called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 national vote.