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Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.

The one-time leader was convicted of planning a military coup in September and handed more than over two decades in jail, but he continued under house arrest pending court reviews.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.

This included seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a call for a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a chance to flee".

Court Filing Details Escape Risks

In a filing authorising the custody, the judge said information from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his flight.

This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his offspring.

His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a legislator, called for a gathering of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

His son wrote on social media on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or observe everything from your phone there on your sofa? I call on you to battle with us."

He said the vigil would be so followers could "pray for his health and for the return of democracy in our land."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the chance of the former president's transfer to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of arranging to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The legal document underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist American leader Donald Trump, leading him to impose a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.

He is being detained in a national police facility in the capital and will experience a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.

They also petitioned that the former president be authorized to leave his home for medical care, saying he needed ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was found guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the 2022 election to his political opponent, Lula.

High Court judges said that he knew of a plan which included plans to murder Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was stopped because it couldn't obtain the backing of the army and air force commanders. Lula was inaugurated without issue on the first day of 2023.

But a seven days after, on 8 January, thousands of his backers attacked and damaged government buildings in the capital, the capital city.

The security forces stepped in and around 1,500 people were arrested.

The justices found that the protesters had been incited by him whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, restore order and bring him back to power.

At the moment, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

He was also barred 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 participating in the 2026 presidential election.