The former Brazilian president arrested after being declared a flight risk

Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was convicted of planning a armed takeover in the ninth month and sentenced more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he was staying under house arrest pending legal challenges.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" emerged.

This included seeking to disable his tracking device and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Court Filing Details Flight Fears

In a paperwork permitting the custody, the judge said information from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his getaway".

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

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

His son wrote on online platforms on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your couch? I call on you to struggle with us."

He said the vigil would be so supporters could offer prayers for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the potential of his transfer to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of planning to seek refuge through a embassy office", a announcement said.

The legal document emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative American leader Donald Trump, leading him to enact a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

He is being detained in a Federal Police station in the capital and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

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 petitioned that Bolsonaro be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for lung conditions and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

He was convicted of heading a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, Lula.

High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plan which included plans to murder the current president and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing the former president's case.

The scheme was stopped because it didn't receive the backing of the armed forces officials. Lula was inaugurated without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on January 8th, thousands of his followers invaded and destroyed official structures in the federal district, Brazil's capital.

The police intervened and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.

The justices found that the protesters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, restore order and reinstate his authority.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also prohibited from running for public office until twenty-sixty - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.

The former president called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 presidential election.