The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.
The one-time leader was convicted of planning a military coup in last fall and sentenced more than a 27-year term in jail, but he continued under house arrest pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the move to detain the elderly politician was a preventative measure after recent developments were revealed.
This encompassed seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a invitation to a public vigil that could enable a possible escape.
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the arrest, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the protest called by his son.
His son, his son Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a meeting of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.
The senator wrote on social media on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or observe everything from your phone there on your couch? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the possibility of the former president's move to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of organizing to ask for protection through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The legal document emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brasilia, is located around 8 miles from his dwelling.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist United States President Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will experience a custody hearing on the next day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be allowed to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he needed ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Context of Sentencing
Bolsonaro was found guilty of leading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the presidential race to his ideological adversary, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a scheme which involved plans to assassinate his opponent and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The scheme was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the support of the army and air force commanders. Lula was sworn in without incident on the first day of 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, numerous Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged public facilities in the federal district, Brazil's capital.
The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.
The justices found that the rioters had been provoked by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, reestablish control and return him to office.
At the moment, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from running for public office until 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.
