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Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.

The former head of state was found guilty of plotting a military coup in last fall and given more than over two decades in jail, but he continued under confinement pending appeals.

High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.

This included trying to remove his ankle monitor and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a possible escape.

Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks

In a document approving the arrest, 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 tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his getaway".

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

His offspring, his son Flávio, who serves as a senator, called for a gathering of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I urge you to fight with us."

He said the gathering would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's ruling was the possibility of his transfer to foreign missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a background of planning to request asylum through a consular facility", a announcement said.

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

International Reactions

The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist US President Trump, leading him to implement a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.

Bolsonaro is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on Sunday.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with tracking devices.

They also requested that Bolsonaro be authorized to leave his home for healthcare, saying he needed regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other health problems.

Details of Guilty Verdict

He was determined responsible of leading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, Lula.

High Court judges said that he knew of a plan which included plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing the former president's case.

The scheme was thwarted because it didn't receive the support of the army and air force commanders. His successor was sworn in without issue on 1 January 2023.

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

The security forces stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.

The judges found that the protesters had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.

At the period, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.

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

The former president called the trial a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 presidential election.