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Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.

The former head of state was found guilty of plotting a military coup in the ninth month and given more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he continued under house arrest pending appeals.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after fresh information emerged.

This included seeking to disable his tracking device and a invitation to a public vigil that could enable a possible escape.

Court Filing Details Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the tracking monitor to ensure success in his flight.

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his child.

His child, Flávio, who serves as a senator, called for a meeting of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or see it all from your smartphone there on your settee? I invite 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."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's move to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a record of arranging to ask for protection through a embassy office", a declaration said.

The court filing emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 13km from the former president's residence.

Global Responses

His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President Donald Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

The former president is being detained in a national police facility in the capital and will undergo a detention review on the following day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with tracking devices.

They also requested that he be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he needed regular treatment for lung conditions and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

The former president was convicted of leading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his political opponent, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a scheme which included plans to murder the current president and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.

The conspiracy was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the military leaders. Lula was inaugurated without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on 8 January, thousands of his followers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.

The judges found that the demonstrators had been provoked by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, restore order and bring him back to power.

At the moment, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.

He was also barred from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the next presidential race.