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The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.

The ex-president was sentenced of plotting a armed takeover in September and handed more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he remained under confinement pending appeals.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a safety action after "new facts" emerged.

This involved trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a chance to flee".

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a paperwork permitting the custody, the magistrate said information from the facility tracking his home detention 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 confusion caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.

His son, Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.

The senator wrote on digital networks on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I invite you to battle with us."

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

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the judge's determination was the potential of Bolsonaro's transfer to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of organizing to request asylum through a embassy office", a statement said.

The court filing emphasizes that the US embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is situated around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist US President Donald Trump, prompting him to implement a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being kept in a national police facility in Brasilia and will undergo a custody hearing on Sunday.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.

They also requested that he be allowed to depart his residence for medical care, saying he demanded ongoing care for lung conditions and other illnesses.

Context of Sentencing

He was found guilty of leading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the presidential race to his ideological adversary, Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plot which involved plans to kill the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The plot was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the military leaders. His successor was took office without issue on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on January 8th, thousands of his followers attacked and damaged government buildings in the capital, the capital city.

The police stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.

The justices found that the protesters had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.

At the time, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.

He was also banned from running for public office until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the end of his sentence.

The ex-leader called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 presidential election.