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Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.

The former head of state was sentenced of orchestrating a military coup in last fall and handed more than 27 years in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending legal challenges.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after fresh information were revealed.

This involved seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a call for a supporters' gathering that could enable a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a document approving the custody, Justice Moraes said data from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his getaway".

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

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

The senator wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your settee? I call on you to fight with us."

He said the vigil would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of his "relocation to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of planning to ask for protection through a embassy office", a statement said.

The legal document emphasizes that the US embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative American leader Trump, leading him to enact a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

He is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will undergo a custody hearing on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also requested that he be authorized to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he needed ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.

Context of Sentencing

The former president was convicted of orchestrating a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, President Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plan which included plans to kill his opponent and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.

The conspiracy was thwarted because it didn't receive the endorsement of the armed forces officials. His successor was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on January 8th, many his backers stormed and vandalised official structures in the federal district, Brazil's capital.

The police intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.

The judges found that the demonstrators had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.

At the period, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.

He was also barred from running for public office until 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.

The ex-leader called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 presidential election.