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

The former head of state was convicted of planning a military coup in September and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under home detention pending appeals.

Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after recent developments were revealed.

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

Court Filing Details Escape Risks

In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said information from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's aim to disable the surveillance device to ensure success in his escape.

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

His offspring, his son Flávio, who serves as a legislator, called for a assembly of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone there on your sofa? I invite you to struggle with us."

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

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the chance of Bolsonaro's transfer to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a background of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The legal document highlights that the United States embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is positioned around 13km from his dwelling.

International Reactions

The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President Trump, causing him to impose a fifty percent tax on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will have a imprisonment assessment on the following day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.

They also petitioned that he be authorized to leave his home for medical care, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other illnesses.

Details of Guilty Verdict

Bolsonaro was convicted of leading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the presidential race to his ideological adversary, Lula.

High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a scheme which encompassed plans to murder the current president and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing the former president's case.

The conspiracy was prevented because it didn't receive the support of the army and air force commanders. Lula was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a following week, on the eighth of January, thousands of his followers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, the capital city.

The security forces intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.

The magistrates found that the protesters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, reestablish control and bring him back to power.

At the moment, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".

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

The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 presidential election.