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Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.

The one-time leader was convicted of planning a armed takeover in last fall and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he remained under home detention pending appeals.

High Court Judge the presiding justice said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" emerged.

This involved attempting to break his ankle monitor and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a potential flight.

Court Filing Details Flight Fears

In a document approving the detention, Justice Moraes said information from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the tracking monitor to ensure success in his flight.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.

His son, 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 evening.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I urge you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the chance of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a record of organizing to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.

The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brasilia, is situated around 13km from the former president's residence.

International Reactions

His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist American leader President Trump, leading him to enact a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

He is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will have a detention review on the next day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also requested that he be authorized to depart his residence for medical care, saying he needed regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was convicted of leading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a scheme which encompassed plans to kill his opponent and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was prevented because it didn't receive the backing of the army and air force commanders. The current president was took office without incident on January 1st, 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, thousands of his backers attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, Brazil's capital.

The security forces intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.

The judges found that the protesters had been incited by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to take action, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.

At the moment, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.

He was also barred from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.

The ex-leader called the court case a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 presidential election.