Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The ex-president was found guilty of plotting a military coup in September and handed more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he was staying under house arrest pending legal challenges.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after fresh information were revealed.
This involved attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a demonstration that could "allow for a possible escape.
Judicial Records Show Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the detention, the judge said intelligence from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His offspring, his son Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a gathering of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.
The senator wrote on digital networks on last Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or observe everything from your phone there on your settee? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could offer prayers for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the magistrate's decision was the possibility of the former president's move to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a record of organizing to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The legal document highlights that the US embassy in the capital, the capital city, is located around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President President Trump, causing him to implement a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being detained in a national police facility in the capital and will have a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also asked that the former president be authorized to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he needed frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was convicted of heading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plan which involved plans to murder his opponent and his running partner, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The plot was prevented because it didn't receive the endorsement of the military leaders. Lula was sworn in without issue on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, numerous Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged official structures in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The security forces took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The judges found that the rioters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, restore order and bring him back to power.
At the moment, the legal team called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also prohibited from running for public office until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 presidential election.
