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Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.

The ex-president was convicted of orchestrating a armed takeover in September and handed more than a 27-year term in prison, but he was staying under home detention pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a safety action after recent developments emerged.

This included seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a invitation to a public vigil that could enable a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the judge said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the former leader's plan to remove the tracking monitor to ensure success in his escape.

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

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

The senator wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your phone there on your sofa? I call on you to battle with us."

He said the vigil would be so backers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the magistrate's determination was the chance of his "relocation to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a background of arranging to request asylum through a consular facility", a announcement said.

The court filing highlights that the United States embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is located around 13km from his dwelling.

Global Responses

The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative United States President President Trump, prompting him to enact a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will have a detention review on the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with digital surveillance.

They also petitioned that the former president be permitted to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he demanded ongoing care for lung conditions and other illnesses.

Details of Guilty Verdict

Bolsonaro was convicted of leading a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plot which encompassed plans to murder the current president and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing the former president's case.

The scheme was prevented because it didn't receive the support of the army and air force commanders. His successor was took office without incident on the first day of 2023.

But a week later, on the eighth of January, numerous his backers attacked and damaged government buildings in the capital, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement stepped in and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.

The judges found that the rioters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to take action, restore order and bring him back to power.

At the moment, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.

He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 national vote.