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Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.

The ex-president was found guilty of plotting a military coup in September and given more than over two decades in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.

High Court Judge the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" emerged.

This included seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a summons to a public vigil that could facilitate a possible escape.

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to secure accomplishment in his getaway".

This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his son.

His child, his son Flávio, who serves as a legislator, called for a meeting of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.

The senator wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your sofa? I invite you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could offer prayers for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of his "relocation to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a history of planning to request asylum through a embassy office", a statement said.

The legal document emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brasilia, is situated around 13km from his dwelling.

International Reactions

The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist United States President Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.

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

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also asked that Bolsonaro be authorized to leave his home for medical care, saying he demanded regular treatment for lung conditions and other ailments.

Details of Guilty Verdict

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of orchestrating a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the presidential race to his ideological adversary, Lula.

High Court judges said that he was aware of a plan which included plans to assassinate his opponent and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The conspiracy was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the military leaders. Lula was took office without problem on the first day of 2023.

But a week later, on 8 January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged official structures in the national capital, Brazil's capital.

The police intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.

The judges found that the demonstrators had been incited by him whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, bring back stability and bring him back to power.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.

He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.

The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 presidential election.