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

The former head of state was convicted of plotting a government overthrow in last fall and given more than over two decades in jail, but he remained under confinement pending appeals.

Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after recent developments emerged.

This involved seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a potential flight.

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a document approving the arrest, the magistrate said intelligence from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his escape.

This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.

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

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your couch? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the gathering would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his health and for the return of democracy in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the potential of Bolsonaro's transfer to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a background of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.

The legal document highlights that the US embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.

Global Responses

His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist United States President Donald Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.

Bolsonaro is being detained in a national police facility in the capital and will experience a detention review on the next day.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to allow 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 regular treatment for lung conditions and other health problems.

Context of Sentencing

He was determined responsible of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the national vote to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

High Court judges said that he was aware of a scheme which included plans to murder the current president and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The conspiracy was stopped because it failed to get the support of the armed forces officials. His successor was took office without problem on the first day of 2023.

But a following week, on the eighth of January, numerous his backers invaded and destroyed official structures in the capital, Brazil's capital.

The law enforcement took action and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.

The judges found that the rioters had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, bring back stability and bring him back to power.

At the moment, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also barred from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The ex-leader called the trial a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 national vote.