Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.
The former head of state was convicted of plotting a military coup in September and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending appeals.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after fresh information emerged.
This encompassed trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the detention, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the protest called by his son.
His son, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on online platforms on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or observe everything from your phone there on your couch? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the vigil would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the chance of his transfer to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a history of planning to ask for protection through a consular facility", a declaration said.
The legal document emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative US President President Trump, leading him to impose a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being held in a national police facility in the capital and will experience a custody hearing on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also petitioned that he be authorized to leave his home for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was determined responsible of leading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the national vote to his ideological adversary, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plot which encompassed plans to assassinate his opponent and his running partner, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been managing the former president's case.
The plot was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the backing of the military leaders. His successor was inaugurated without problem on the first day of 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, many his followers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the national capital, Brazil's capital.
The law enforcement stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The judges found that the demonstrators had been provoked by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, reestablish control and return him to office.
At the period, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from running for public office until 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the trial a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.
