The former Brazilian president arrested after being deemed a flight risk

Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.

The former head of state was sentenced of orchestrating a military coup in September and sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he remained under home detention pending legal challenges.

High Court Judge the presiding justice said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" were revealed.

This encompassed seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could enable a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns

In a filing authorising the arrest, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his child.

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

The senator wrote on online platforms on Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, 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 supporters could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the chance of his "relocation to embassies near the home, considering that the probes revealed a record of arranging to seek refuge through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The court filing emphasizes that the United States embassy in the capital, Brazil's capital, is located around 13km from his dwelling.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist US President President Trump, prompting him to impose a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

Bolsonaro is being held in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will have a detention review on the following day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with tracking devices.

They also petitioned that the former president be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he needed ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.

Context of Sentencing

He was determined responsible of leading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Lula.

High Court judges said that he was aware of a plan which encompassed plans to kill Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The conspiracy was prevented because it failed to get the backing of the army and air force commanders. His successor was inaugurated without incident on January 1st, 2023.

But a week later, on the eighth of January, numerous his backers invaded and destroyed public facilities in the capital, Brasília.

The law enforcement stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.

The magistrates found that the rioters had been provoked by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, reestablish control and bring him back to power.

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

He was also banned from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The former president called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him running in the next presidential race.