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Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.

The former head of state was sentenced of orchestrating a military coup in September and given more than 27 years in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.

High Court Judge the presiding justice said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after recent developments came to light.

This involved seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a call for a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a possible escape.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a paperwork permitting the detention, Justice Moraes said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to secure accomplishment in his escape.

This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his child.

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

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or see it all from your phone there on your settee? I invite you to fight with us."

He said the demonstration would be so backers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the possibility of his "relocation to foreign missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a record of planning to seek refuge through a consular facility", a statement said.

The judicial paperwork underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brasilia, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist United States President Trump, prompting him to implement a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being held in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also requested that the former president be permitted to leave his home for medical care, saying he needed frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Context of Sentencing

He was determined responsible of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plot which encompassed plans to murder Lula and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the military leaders. His successor was sworn in without issue on 1 January 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised official structures in the national capital, the capital city.

The law enforcement intervened and around 1,500 people were arrested.

The justices found that the demonstrators had been incited by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to step in, bring back stability and return him to office.

At the time, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.

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

The former president called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 national vote.