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The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.

The ex-president was sentenced of orchestrating a military coup in September and sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he remained under confinement pending court reviews.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.

This involved attempting to break his tracking device and a invitation to a demonstration that could facilitate a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a paperwork permitting the detention, Justice Moraes said information from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his flight.

This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his child.

His son, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I urge you to fight with us."

He said the gathering would be so backers could "pray for his health and for the return of democracy in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's ruling was the possibility of Bolsonaro's move to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a record of arranging to seek refuge through a consular facility", a statement said.

The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brazil's capital, is located around 8 miles from his dwelling.

International Reactions

The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative American leader Trump, causing him to implement a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being held in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a custody hearing on the following day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.

They also asked that he be authorized to leave his home for healthcare, saying he demanded regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was found guilty of orchestrating a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a scheme which included plans to kill the current president and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The scheme was thwarted because it failed to get the support of the armed forces officials. Lula was took office without incident on the first day of 2023.

But a week later, on the eighth of January, numerous his backers attacked and damaged public facilities in the capital, the capital city.

The police stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.

The justices found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to take action, reestablish control and return him to office.

At the time, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also barred from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.

The former president called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.