Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The ex-president was convicted of plotting a military coup in September and sentenced more than a 27-year term in prison, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.
This involved trying to remove his tracking device and a summons to a public vigil that could enable a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks
In a document approving the custody, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his escape.
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.
His offspring, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
His son wrote on digital networks on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I call on you to fight with us."
He said the demonstration would be so supporters could "pray for his health and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's ruling was the chance of his "relocation to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of planning to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the US embassy in the capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Global Responses
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist US President President Trump, prompting him to enact a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for lung conditions and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
He was found guilty of heading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the presidential race to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plot which included plans to murder his opponent and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The scheme was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the military leaders. The current president was sworn in without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, many his followers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The law enforcement stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to take action, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from running for public office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him participating in the next presidential race.
