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Jair Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.

The one-time leader was sentenced of planning a government overthrow in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in incarceration, but he continued under confinement pending legal challenges.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after recent developments emerged.

This included seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a summons to a demonstration that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears

In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the surveillance device to ensure success in his escape.

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

His son, his son Flávio, who holds office as a legislator, called for a assembly of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.

His son wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone there on your settee? I call on you to battle with us."

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

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the magistrate's ruling was the possibility of his move to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a record of arranging to ask for protection through a embassy office", a declaration said.

The legal document underscores that the US embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is situated around 13km from his dwelling.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative US President Donald Trump, prompting him to impose a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being detained in a national police facility in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on the following day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.

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

Context of Sentencing

He was found guilty of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, President Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plan which involved plans to kill the current president and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.

The scheme was thwarted because it failed to get the backing of the armed forces officials. The current president was took office without incident on the first day of 2023.

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

The law enforcement intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.

The judges found that the protesters had been incited by him whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, reestablish control and bring him back to power.

At the moment, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".

He was also barred from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.

The former president called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 presidential election.