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The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.

The ex-president was convicted of plotting a government overthrow in the ninth month and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he continued under home detention pending court reviews.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.

This involved attempting to break his tracking device and a call for a demonstration that could enable a chance to flee".

Court Filing Details Escape Concerns

In a paperwork permitting the detention, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the protest called by his child.

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

The senator wrote on digital networks on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I call on you to fight with us."

He said the vigil would be so supporters could "pray for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a history of planning to request asylum through a embassy office", a announcement said.

The legal document highlights that the US embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is located around 13km from the former president's residence.

Global Responses

The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative American leader President Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

The former president is being held in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will have a detention review on Sunday.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the High Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also requested that the former president be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

The former president was found guilty of orchestrating a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plan which involved plans to murder his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing his judicial proceedings.

The plot was thwarted because it failed to get the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. Lula was sworn in without issue on January 1st, 2023.

But a seven days after, on 8 January, many his followers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the federal district, Brasília.

The police 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 intervene, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.

At the period, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".

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

The one-time head of state called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 presidential election.