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

The ex-president was convicted of planning a armed takeover in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in jail, but he remained under confinement pending appeals.

Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after recent developments were revealed.

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

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a filing authorising the arrest, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his flight.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.

His child, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.

His son wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone there on your sofa? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could "pray 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 Bolsonaro's transfer to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of arranging to ask for protection through a embassy office", a announcement said.

The judicial paperwork highlights that the United States embassy in the capital, the capital city, is located around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative American leader Trump, leading him to impose a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.

He is being detained in a national police facility in Brasilia and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be permitted to leave his home for medical care, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other illnesses.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was found guilty of heading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the presidential race to his ideological adversary, President Lula.

High Court judges said that he knew of a plan which included plans to murder Lula and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over the former president's case.

The conspiracy was stopped because it failed to get the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. The current president was sworn in without issue on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, numerous his backers attacked and damaged government buildings in the capital, the capital city.

The police took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.

The magistrates found that the protesters had been provoked by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, restore order and return him to office.

At the time, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.

The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 presidential election.