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Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.

The ex-president was found guilty of plotting a armed takeover in the ninth month and given more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under home detention pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" came to light.

This involved trying to remove his tracking device and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a possible escape.

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a document approving the custody, the magistrate said data from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's plan to remove the tracking monitor to ensure success in his escape.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his offspring.

His son, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.

The senator wrote on social media on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I urge you to battle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could "pray for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our land."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of planning to seek refuge through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The legal document emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, the capital city, is positioned around 13km from his dwelling.

Global Responses

The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist United States President Donald Trump, prompting him to implement a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being held in a Federal Police station in the capital and will undergo a custody hearing on Sunday.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with tracking devices.

They also requested that the former president be authorized to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he required frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of heading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

High Court judges said that he was aware of a scheme which included plans to assassinate Lula and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was stopped because it failed to get the support of the army and air force commanders. Lula was inaugurated without problem on January 1st, 2023.

But a following week, on January 8th, many Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, Brasília.

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

The judges found that the protesters had been incited by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.

At the time, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.

He was also banned from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 presidential election.