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Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.

The former head of state was found guilty of planning a government overthrow in September and handed more than a 27-year term in jail, but he was staying under confinement pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after fresh information came to light.

This included seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a invitation 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 intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".

This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the protest called by his son.

His offspring, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.

The senator wrote on online platforms on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or see it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I call on you to battle with us."

He said the gathering would be so backers could "pray for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the chance of Bolsonaro's move to embassies near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of planning to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is situated around 8 miles from his dwelling.

Global Responses

His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist American leader Trump, leading him to impose a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being kept in a national police facility in the capital and will have a custody hearing on Sunday.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also requested that the former president be authorized to depart his residence for medical care, saying he required ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.

Context of Sentencing

He was found guilty of orchestrating a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the national vote to his ideological adversary, President Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which included plans to murder his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The conspiracy was prevented because it didn't receive the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. His successor was took office without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, thousands of his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the capital, Brasília.

The security forces intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.

The magistrates found that the protesters had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, restore order and return him to office.

At the time, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also prohibited from running for public office until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 national vote.