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

The ex-president was found guilty of orchestrating a military coup in September and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he continued under confinement pending legal challenges.

Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after "new facts" emerged.

This involved trying to remove his tracking device and a invitation to a demonstration that could enable a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a document approving the arrest, Justice Moraes said data from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the surveillance device to ensure success in his escape.

This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.

His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his supporters near his father's house to take place on the weekend.

His son wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I call on you to fight with us."

He said the gathering would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's decision was the chance of Bolsonaro's "relocation to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of arranging to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, the capital city, is situated around 13km from the former president's residence.

Worldwide Consequences

The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative American leader President Trump, leading him to impose a fifty percent tax on goods coming from Brazil.

The former president is being detained in a national police facility in the capital and will undergo a detention review on the following day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with tracking devices.

They also asked that he be authorized to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he needed frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.

Background on Conviction

The former president was found guilty of heading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his political opponent, Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which encompassed plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The scheme was prevented because it couldn't obtain the backing of the army and air force commanders. The current president was took office without issue on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, many his backers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the national capital, Brasília.

The law enforcement took action and around 1,500 people were arrested.

The justices found that the demonstrators had been incited by him whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, reestablish control and bring him back to power.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.

The ex-leader called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the next presidential race.