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The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.

The ex-president was sentenced of plotting a government overthrow in the ninth month and handed more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.

High Court Judge the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a precautionary step after fresh information emerged.

This encompassed seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a call for a demonstration that could enable a potential flight.

Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks

In a document approving the custody, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the former leader's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his escape.

This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the protest called by his child.

His child, his son Flávio, who serves as a legislator, called for a meeting of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your country, or see it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I urge you to struggle with us."

He said the gathering would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our land."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the possibility of his transfer to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a background of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.

The legal document highlights that the US embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist American leader Trump, leading him to impose a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.

The former president is being detained in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a custody hearing on the following day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be authorized to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he required ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was found guilty of heading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the presidential race to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plot which involved plans to kill Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been managing his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the military leaders. His successor was took office without incident on the first day of 2023.

But a following week, on the eighth of January, many his followers invaded and destroyed official structures in the national capital, the capital city.

The police took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.

The judges found that the protesters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, reestablish control and return him to office.

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

He was also banned from campaigning for office until twenty-sixty - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the next presidential race.