Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The one-time leader was found guilty of orchestrating a armed takeover in September and given more than over two decades in incarceration, but he continued under house arrest pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after recent developments emerged.
This included seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a summons to a demonstration that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the arrest, the magistrate said intelligence from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his offspring.
His son, Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.
The senator wrote on social media on last Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or observe everything from your phone there on your sofa? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so supporters could "pray for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the possibility of his "relocation to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a record of arranging to request asylum through a consular facility", a statement said.
The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brasilia, is situated around 8 miles from his dwelling.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative American leader President Trump, leading him to impose a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will have a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also asked that the former president be permitted to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
He was determined responsible of heading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a scheme which involved plans to murder his opponent and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The scheme was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the support of the military leaders. His successor was took office without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, numerous his followers attacked and damaged public facilities in the capital, Brasília.
The security forces took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The judges found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by him whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, restore order and return him to office.
At the time, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from running for public office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the next presidential race.
