Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The former head of state was convicted of planning a armed takeover in the ninth month and handed more than a 27-year term in jail, but he remained under home detention pending legal challenges.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after "new facts" emerged.
This involved seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a summons to a demonstration that could facilitate a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Escape Concerns
In a document approving the custody, the judge said data from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's plan to remove the tracking monitor to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the protest called by his child.
His offspring, his son Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a assembly of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on online platforms on Friday: Will you battle for your country, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your settee? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the demonstration would be so followers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the chance of Bolsonaro's transfer to embassies near the home, considering that the probes revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The judicial paperwork highlights that the United States embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative US President Donald Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will have a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that he be authorized to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other ailments.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was convicted of leading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a scheme which encompassed plans to kill his opponent and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was stopped because it failed to get the support of the military leaders. Lula was took office without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed public facilities in the capital, Brasília.
The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.
The justices found that the protesters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to step in, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 presidential election.
