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Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The ex-president was found guilty of orchestrating a government overthrow in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under confinement pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after fresh information emerged.

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

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a paperwork permitting the detention, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his getaway".

This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his child.

His child, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

His son wrote on social media on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or see it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I call on you to battle with us."

He said the vigil would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the potential of Bolsonaro's move to foreign missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a record of arranging to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said.

The judicial paperwork highlights that the US embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist United States President Donald Trump, prompting him to implement a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.

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

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.

They also petitioned that the former president be authorized to leave his home for medical care, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other ailments.

Details of Guilty Verdict

Bolsonaro was determined responsible of heading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a scheme which encompassed plans to assassinate the current president and his running partner, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing his judicial proceedings.

The scheme was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the backing 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 backers stormed and vandalised official structures in the national capital, the capital city.

The law enforcement stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.

The judges found that the protesters had been incited by him whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.

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

He was also barred from running for public office until twenty-sixty - eight years after the end of his sentence.

The ex-leader called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.