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Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.

The ex-president was found guilty of planning a armed takeover in last fall and given more than 27 years in incarceration, but he continued under confinement pending legal challenges.

Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a preventative measure after fresh information were revealed.

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

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a paperwork permitting the detention, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his flight.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the protest called by his son.

His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a senator, called for a gathering of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your country, or observe everything from your phone there on your settee? I call on you to fight with us."

He said the vigil would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's determination was the chance of his "relocation to embassies near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a background of planning to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The court filing underscores that the US embassy in the capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 13km from his dwelling.

Worldwide Consequences

His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist United States President Trump, prompting him to impose a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being held in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will have a imprisonment assessment on the following day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be allowed to leave his home for healthcare, saying he required frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.

Background on Conviction

The former president was convicted of leading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the national vote to his ideological adversary, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plan which encompassed plans to murder his opponent and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing the former president's case.

The plot was prevented because it failed to get the support of the military leaders. Lula was took office without incident on the first day of 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, many his followers attacked and damaged official structures in the national capital, Brazil's capital.

The security forces stepped in and around 1,500 people were arrested.

The judges found that the demonstrators had been provoked by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to take action, restore order and reinstate his authority.

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

He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.

The ex-leader called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him running in the next presidential race.