Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The ex-president was convicted of planning a government overthrow in September and handed more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he was staying under house arrest pending legal challenges.
High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a safety action after fresh information came to light.
This included trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the detention, the judge said intelligence from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the protest called by his child.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.
The senator wrote on digital networks on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or see it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I call on you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the possibility of his transfer to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a background of planning to ask for protection through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork highlights that the US embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 13km from the former president's residence.
Worldwide Consequences
His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, causing him to implement a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being held in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be authorized to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he required frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
The former president was found guilty of leading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, President Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a scheme which included plans to assassinate the current president and his running partner, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing the former president's case.
The scheme was stopped because it didn't receive the support of the army and air force commanders. Lula was inaugurated without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised government buildings in the federal district, Brazil's capital.
The law enforcement intervened and around 1,500 people were detained.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been encouraged by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, restore order and return him to office.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also prohibited from running for public office until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.
The one-time head of state called the trial a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.
