Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was convicted of plotting a armed takeover in last fall and given more than 27 years in jail, but he remained under confinement pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a precautionary step after fresh information were revealed.
This involved seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could enable a possible escape.
Court Filing Details Escape Concerns
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the judge said intelligence from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the protest called by his child.
His offspring, his son Flávio, who holds office as a senator, called for a gathering of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on digital networks on last Friday: Will you battle for your country, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your couch? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so backers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the chance of Bolsonaro's move to embassies near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a background of arranging to request asylum through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the United States embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is located around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist American leader Donald Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will experience a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that Bolsonaro be authorized to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he required frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was found guilty of leading a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, President Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plot which included plans to kill the current president and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was prevented because it couldn't obtain the support of the military leaders. His successor was sworn in without incident on the first day of 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, thousands of his followers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the national capital, Brazil's capital.
The security forces stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.
The judges found that the rioters had been encouraged by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office.
At the time, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also barred from running for public office until twenty-sixty - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 presidential election.
