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

The one-time leader was convicted of plotting a armed takeover in September and handed more than 27 years in prison, but he continued under home detention pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.

This involved trying to remove his tracking device and a invitation to a public vigil that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Escape Risks

In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said data from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his escape.

This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his offspring.

His son, Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a meeting of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone there on your settee? I urge you to fight with us."

He said the gathering would be so backers could offer prayers for his health and for the return of democracy in our nation."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.

The legal document highlights that the United States embassy in the capital, the capital city, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.

International Reactions

His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist American leader Donald Trump, prompting him to implement a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.

Bolsonaro is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the next day.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with tracking devices.

They also asked that Bolsonaro be authorized to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other ailments.

Background on Conviction

Bolsonaro was found guilty of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which included plans to kill Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing the former president's case.

The scheme was stopped because it didn't receive the backing of the army and air force commanders. The current president was sworn in without problem on the first day of 2023.

But a following week, on 8 January, thousands of his backers invaded and destroyed public facilities in the national capital, the capital city.

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

The judges found that the demonstrators had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to step in, reestablish control and bring him back to power.

At the moment, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.

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

The one-time head of state called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 national vote.