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Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The ex-president was found guilty of orchestrating a armed takeover in September and sentenced more than a 27-year term in jail, but he remained under home detention pending appeals.

High Court Judge the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" emerged.

This included seeking to disable his tracking device and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could enable a potential flight.

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the unit overseeing 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 gathering called by his child.

His son, Flávio, who works as a senator, called for a assembly of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.

The senator wrote on social media on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or see it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I call on you to fight with us."

He said the demonstration would be so backers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the magistrate's decision was the possibility of the former president's move to foreign missions near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of planning to request asylum through a embassy office", a announcement said.

The legal document highlights that the United States embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is situated around 8 miles from his dwelling.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative United States President Donald Trump, leading him to enact a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

He is being detained in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will have a custody hearing on the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.

They also asked that he be authorized to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he demanded ongoing care for lung conditions and other health problems.

Context of Sentencing

Bolsonaro was found guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a scheme which involved plans to assassinate his opponent and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was stopped because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. The current president was sworn in without issue on the first day of 2023.

But a following week, on the eighth of January, thousands of his followers attacked and damaged government buildings in the federal district, Brasília.

The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were arrested.

The judges found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by him whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, bring back stability and return him to office.

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

He was also barred from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The ex-leader called the trial a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 national vote.