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Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.

The ex-president was sentenced of plotting a government overthrow in September and sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he remained under house arrest pending legal challenges.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" came to light.

This involved seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his getaway".

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

His son, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your settee? I urge you to battle with us."

He said the vigil would be so followers could "pray for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the judge's ruling was the potential of his move to embassies near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of planning to ask for protection through a consular facility", a announcement said.

The legal document emphasizes that the US embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 13km from his dwelling.

Global Responses

His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative United States President Donald Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.

The former president is being kept in a national police facility in the capital and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with tracking devices.

They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other health problems.

Context of Sentencing

The former president was determined responsible of leading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the national vote to his ideological adversary, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plot which encompassed plans to kill Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was stopped because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. Lula was sworn in without incident on January 1st, 2023.

But a week later, on January 8th, thousands of his backers stormed and vandalised official structures in the federal district, the capital city.

The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.

The judges found that the protesters had been provoked by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.

At the time, the legal team called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

He was also prohibited from running for public office until the year 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.

The ex-leader called the court case a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 presidential election.