The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The former head of state was found guilty of orchestrating a government overthrow in the ninth month and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he remained under confinement pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the move to detain the elderly politician was a preventative measure after fresh information were revealed.
This involved seeking to disable his tracking device and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the custody, the judge said intelligence from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his son.
His son, Flávio, who serves as a legislator, called for a meeting of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
The senator wrote on online platforms on Friday: Will you battle 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 gathering would be so supporters could "pray for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of his move to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a background of planning to seek refuge through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The legal document highlights that the US embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative United States President President Trump, causing him to impose a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will experience a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with digital surveillance.
They also petitioned that the former president be allowed to leave his home for healthcare, saying he demanded ongoing care for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Context of Sentencing
Bolsonaro was convicted of heading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the national vote to his political opponent, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plan which encompassed plans to murder the current president and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was stopped because it didn't receive the backing of the armed forces officials. His successor was sworn in without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, thousands of his followers attacked and damaged public facilities in the capital, the capital city.
The law enforcement stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.
The justices found that the demonstrators had been provoked by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to take action, restore order and return him to office.
At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from running for public office until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 presidential election.
