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

The one-time leader was found guilty of plotting a military coup in September and handed more than a 27-year term in prison, but he continued under home detention pending legal challenges.

Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after fresh information were revealed.

This encompassed trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a call for a demonstration that could "allow for a potential flight.

Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns

In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his flight.

This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the protest called by his offspring.

His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.

Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or see it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I urge you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so supporters could offer prayers for his health and for the return of democracy in our country."

Foreign Shelter Risks

Part of the magistrate's determination was the potential of Bolsonaro's transfer to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of organizing to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.

The court filing emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brasilia, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.

Global Responses

Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist United States President President Trump, leading him to enact a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.

He is being kept in a national police facility in Brasilia and will undergo a detention review on Sunday.

Recent Legal Requests

It was only on 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 he be allowed to leave his home for healthcare, saying he required regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.

Context of Sentencing

He was determined responsible of orchestrating a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the presidential race to his political opponent, President Lula.

Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plot which involved plans to kill the current president and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing the former president's case.

The conspiracy was prevented because it didn't receive the endorsement of the military leaders. His successor was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on 8 January, numerous his followers invaded and destroyed official structures in the capital, Brasília.

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

The judges found that the rioters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".

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

The former president called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 national vote.