The former Brazilian president arrested after being considered a risk of fleeing

The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.

The former head of state was found guilty of plotting a armed takeover in the ninth month and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the move to detain the elderly politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" emerged.

This included seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the custody, the judge said intelligence from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to secure accomplishment in his escape.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the protest called by his offspring.

His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his backers near his father's house to take place on the weekend.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I invite you to battle with us."

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

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the possibility of Bolsonaro's transfer to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of planning to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.

The court filing underscores that the US embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is located around 13km from the former president's residence.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist American leader President Trump, prompting him to impose a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

He is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will experience a detention review on Sunday.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also asked that the former president be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he demanded ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.

Context of Sentencing

Bolsonaro was found guilty of orchestrating a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the national vote to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plan which involved plans to murder Lula and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing the former president's case.

The conspiracy was thwarted because it didn't receive the endorsement of the military leaders. Lula was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on the eighth of January, many his backers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the national capital, Brasília.

The police intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.

The justices found that the protesters had been encouraged by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, restore order and return him to office.

At the moment, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".

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

The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 national vote.