The former Brazilian president detained after being considered a escape threat

Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.

The one-time leader was sentenced of planning a government overthrow in the ninth month and given more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.

High Court Judge the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.

This included attempting to break his tracking device and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could enable a possible escape.

Court Filing Details Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said information from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his escape.

This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his offspring.

His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a legislator, called for a assembly of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.

The senator wrote on social media on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or see it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I invite you to battle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so backers could offer prayers for his health and for the return of democracy in our land."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's move to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a record of arranging to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The legal document underscores that the US embassy in the capital, the capital city, is located around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President President Trump, prompting him to implement a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being held in a national police facility in Brasilia and will experience a detention review on the next day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with tracking devices.

They also asked that Bolsonaro be permitted to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he required regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

The former president was found guilty of orchestrating a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the national vote to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

High Court judges said that he knew of a plan which encompassed plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been overseeing the former president's case.

The plot was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the backing of the armed forces officials. His successor was inaugurated without issue on January 1st, 2023.

But a seven days after, on 8 January, thousands of his backers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.

The judges found that the rioters had been incited by him whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, restore order and reinstate his authority.

At the period, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.

He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until twenty-sixty - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.

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