Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.
The one-time leader was convicted of orchestrating a government overthrow in last fall and given more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under confinement pending legal challenges.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.
This involved attempting to break his ankle monitor and a invitation to a public vigil that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his flight.
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his offspring.
His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a senator, called for a assembly of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.
The senator wrote on digital networks on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or see it all from your phone there on your couch? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's determination was the potential of the former president's transfer to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of arranging to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said.
The legal document underscores that the United States embassy in the capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 13km from his dwelling.
Global Responses
His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist US President President Trump, prompting him to implement a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being kept in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that the former president be allowed to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he demanded ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
The former president was convicted of leading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the national vote to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a scheme which involved plans to kill his opponent and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the backing of the military leaders. His successor was took office without issue on the first day of 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised government buildings in the capital, the capital city.
The law enforcement stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from running for public office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 presidential election.
