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

The one-time leader was sentenced of plotting a military coup in last fall and handed more than 27 years in jail, but he continued under confinement pending legal challenges.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after fresh information emerged.

This included seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a invitation to a public vigil that could facilitate a chance to flee".

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a document approving the detention, the judge said information from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight.

This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his son.

His son, Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a gathering of his backers near his father's house to take place on the weekend.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I urge you to struggle with us."

He said the gathering would be so followers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the chance of the former president's transfer to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a background of planning to ask for protection through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brasilia, is situated around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative American leader Trump, prompting him to enact a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

The former president is being held in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the next day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Top Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also petitioned that the former president be authorized to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he required ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other ailments.

Context of Sentencing

He was determined responsible of leading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the national vote to his political opponent, Lula.

High Court judges said that he was aware of a plot which included plans to kill the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The scheme was prevented because it failed to get the support of the army and air force commanders. Lula was took office without incident on January 1st, 2023.

But a seven days after, on 8 January, many his backers attacked and damaged government buildings in the federal district, Brasília.

The law enforcement took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.

The judges found that the rioters had been encouraged by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, restore order and reinstate his authority.

At the time, the legal team called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

He was also banned from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.

The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 national vote.