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Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was found guilty of planning a government overthrow in September and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he was staying under home detention pending appeals.

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

This involved trying to remove his ankle monitor and a summons to a public vigil that could enable a chance to flee".

Court Filing Details Flight Fears

In a document approving the detention, the judge said intelligence from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's plan to remove the surveillance device to ensure success in his flight.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his offspring.

His child, Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a meeting of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.

The senator wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I call on you to battle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his health and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of the former president's move to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of arranging to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

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

International Reactions

The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist American leader President Trump, causing him to impose a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.

The former president is being held in a national police facility in Brasilia and will undergo a detention review on Sunday.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be authorized to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he demanded regular treatment for lung conditions and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

The former president was found guilty of heading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, President Lula.

High Court judges said that he knew of a scheme which involved plans to kill the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The scheme was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the support of the armed forces officials. Lula was took office without incident on January 1st, 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, thousands of his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the national capital, the capital city.

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

The judges found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, reestablish control and bring him back to power.

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

He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until twenty-sixty - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.

The one-time head of state called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 presidential election.