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

The former head of state was convicted of orchestrating a military coup in September and handed more than over two decades in incarceration, but he remained under home detention pending court reviews.

Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a safety action after fresh information emerged.

This involved seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a summons to a demonstration that could facilitate a chance to flee".

Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks

In a paperwork permitting the custody, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his escape.

This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.

His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a legislator, called for a assembly of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.

The senator wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I urge you to struggle with us."

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

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the chance of the former president's transfer to embassies near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of organizing to request asylum through a consular facility", a statement said.

The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, the capital city, is located around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist US President Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.

The former president is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also asked that Bolsonaro be permitted to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he required frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.

Background on Conviction

The former president was determined responsible of leading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which involved plans to murder his opponent and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The scheme was stopped because it couldn't obtain the support of the armed forces officials. Lula was sworn in without problem on the first day of 2023.

But a following week, on January 8th, numerous his backers attacked and damaged public facilities in the federal district, Brasília.

The law enforcement stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.

The justices found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by the former president whose strategy, 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 unreasonably severe".

He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.

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