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The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was sentenced of plotting a military coup in September and sentenced more than 27 years in incarceration, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.

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

This included attempting to break his ankle monitor and a invitation to a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the detention, Justice Moraes said information from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his getaway".

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

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

The senator wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your country, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your sofa? I invite you to fight with us."

He said the demonstration would be so supporters could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's decision was the possibility of the former president's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a record of planning to ask for protection through a consular facility", a announcement said.

The judicial paperwork highlights that the United States embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is situated around 13km from the former president's residence.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist American leader Donald Trump, causing him to enact a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

The former president is being detained in a Federal Police station in the capital and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with tracking devices.

They also asked that Bolsonaro be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he demanded regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Context of Sentencing

The former president was found guilty of orchestrating a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the presidential race to his ideological adversary, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a scheme which included plans to kill the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing the former president's case.

The scheme was stopped because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the military leaders. The current president was inaugurated without issue on the first day of 2023.

But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, many Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged official structures in the national capital, the capital city.

The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were arrested.

The judges found that the rioters had been encouraged by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, restore order and return him to office.

At the moment, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

He was also barred from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the next presidential race.