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The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.

The one-time leader was convicted of planning a government overthrow in September and handed more than a 27-year term in prison, but he remained under house arrest pending legal challenges.

Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.

This included trying to remove his ankle monitor and a invitation to a public vigil that could facilitate a possible escape.

Court Filing Details Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said data from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the former leader's "intention to break the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his escape.

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

His offspring, his son Flávio, who serves as a legislator, called for a meeting of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

His son wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or see it all from your phone there on your couch? I call on you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's transfer to embassies near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to request asylum through a embassy office", a announcement said.

The legal document highlights that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 13km from the former president's residence.

Worldwide Consequences

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist American leader President Trump, causing him to enact a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the following day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also petitioned that the former president be authorized to leave his home for medical care, saying he required ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.

Background on Conviction

The former president was determined responsible of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which involved plans to assassinate his opponent and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.

The conspiracy was stopped because it failed to get the endorsement of the armed forces officials. Lula was sworn in without problem on the first day of 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, thousands of his followers stormed and vandalised official structures in the capital, the capital city.

The security forces intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.

The justices found that the protesters had been encouraged by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, reestablish control and bring him back to power.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.

He was also banned from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.

The former president called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 presidential election.