Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The one-time leader was convicted of plotting a military coup in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending legal challenges.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after fresh information came to light.
This included trying to remove his ankle monitor and a call for a demonstration that could enable a possible escape.
Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said information from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his child.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on last Friday: Will you battle for your nation, or observe everything from your phone there on your sofa? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the potential of his transfer to embassies near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a history of planning to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The court filing emphasizes that the United States embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is situated around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Global Responses
Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist American leader Trump, prompting him to implement a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being kept in a national police facility in Brasilia and will undergo a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that he be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he required ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was convicted of orchestrating a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the national vote to his political opponent, Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a scheme which included plans to assassinate his opponent and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The plot was prevented because it didn't receive the support of the armed forces officials. His successor was inaugurated without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, numerous Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, the capital city.
The security forces intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The justices found that the rioters had been encouraged by him whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, restore order and return him to office.
At the time, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also barred from running for public office until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the next presidential race.
