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Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.

The ex-president was sentenced of orchestrating a military coup in September and given more than over two decades in prison, but he was staying under confinement pending court reviews.

Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" were revealed.

This included seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a summons to a public vigil that could enable a chance to flee".

Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the detention, the magistrate said data from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the protest called by his son.

His child, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.

His son wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or observe everything from your phone there on your sofa? I urge you to battle with us."

He said the vigil would be so backers could "pray for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our land."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the judge's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a record of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The legal document emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is situated around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist United States President Donald Trump, leading him to impose a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.

He is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will undergo a custody hearing on the next day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be authorized to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

The former president was determined responsible of leading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the presidential race to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plot which included plans to assassinate his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was prevented because it couldn't obtain the backing of the army and air force commanders. His successor was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on the eighth of January, thousands of his backers invaded and destroyed public facilities in the federal district, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.

The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been incited by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, reestablish control and bring him back to power.

At the period, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also banned from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years after the completion of his term.

The ex-leader called the court case a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him running in the 2026 national vote.