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The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.

The one-time leader was convicted of orchestrating a armed takeover in September and given more than over two decades in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.

Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" came to light.

This included trying to remove his tracking device and a call for a demonstration that could facilitate a potential flight.

Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns

In a document approving the detention, 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 secure accomplishment in his escape.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his son.

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

The senator wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your sofa? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the vigil would be so followers could offer prayers for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the chance of his move to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of planning to seek refuge through a embassy office", a announcement said.

The legal document emphasizes that the US embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative United States President Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being kept in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will have a detention review on the following day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with digital surveillance.

They also petitioned that the former president be allowed to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he demanded regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of leading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, President Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a scheme which included plans to assassinate the current president and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was stopped because it didn't receive the support of the armed forces officials. The current president was took office without problem on January 1st, 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, thousands of his backers attacked and damaged government buildings in the national capital, Brasília.

The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were detained.

The magistrates found that the protesters had been provoked by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.

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

The ex-leader called the trial a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 presidential election.