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Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.

The one-time leader was found guilty of orchestrating a government overthrow in last fall and sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he continued under home detention pending court reviews.

Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a precautionary step after fresh information were revealed.

This included attempting to break his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could enable a chance to flee".

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a document approving the custody, the magistrate said intelligence from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".

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

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

His son wrote on social media on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone there on your settee? I urge you to struggle with us."

He said the gathering would be so followers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the possibility of the former president's "relocation to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a background of arranging to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The court filing highlights 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 right-wing populist US President Trump, leading him to impose a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the next day.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with digital surveillance.

They also asked that Bolsonaro be authorized to leave his home for healthcare, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other ailments.

Context of Sentencing

He was convicted of heading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the 2022 election to his political opponent, President Lula.

High Court judges said that he knew of a scheme which included plans to kill the current president and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over the former president's case.

The plot was prevented because it failed to get the backing of the military leaders. The current president was inaugurated without incident on 1 January 2023.

But a following week, on January 8th, numerous Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised official structures in the federal district, the capital city.

The police took action and around 1,500 people were detained.

The judges found that the protesters had been provoked by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, bring back stability and bring him back to power.

At the period, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.

He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.

The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 presidential election.