Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The one-time leader was convicted of orchestrating a military coup in last fall and sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he was staying under confinement pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.
This involved trying to remove his tracking device and a call for a public vigil that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the detention, the magistrate said data from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His child, Flávio, who serves as a legislator, called for a gathering of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I call on you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so backers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's ruling was the chance of the former president's move to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a record of organizing to request asylum through a embassy office", a declaration said.
The judicial paperwork highlights that the US embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is situated around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative United States President Trump, leading him to impose a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being held in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will undergo a detention review on the next day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be allowed to depart his residence for medical care, saying he needed regular treatment for lung conditions and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was determined responsible of heading a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the national vote to his ideological adversary, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a scheme which involved plans to assassinate Lula and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.
The conspiracy was prevented because it failed to get the endorsement of the armed forces officials. The current president was took office without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, many his backers attacked and damaged public facilities in the federal district, Brazil's capital.
The police intervened and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.
The justices found that the demonstrators had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the period, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also barred from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 national vote.
