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The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.

The ex-president was convicted of orchestrating a armed takeover in the ninth month and sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after recent developments came to light.

This involved attempting to break his ankle monitor and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could enable a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a document approving the custody, the judge said intelligence from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's plan to remove the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his son.

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

His son wrote on online platforms on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your settee? I call on you to fight with us."

He said the gathering would be so supporters could offer prayers for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the potential of Bolsonaro's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of organizing to seek refuge through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The judicial paperwork highlights that the United States embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist American leader Trump, leading him to enact a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will have a detention review on Sunday.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also asked that the former president be authorized to leave his home for healthcare, saying he needed ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other ailments.

Details of Guilty Verdict

He was determined responsible of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the national vote to his ideological adversary, President Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a scheme which involved plans to murder his opponent and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was thwarted because it didn't receive the backing of the military leaders. Lula was took office without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised public facilities in the federal district, the capital city.

The law enforcement stepped in and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.

The magistrates found that the rioters had been encouraged by him whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, restore order and return him to office.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.

He was also prohibited from running for public office until 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 national vote.