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Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.

The one-time leader was convicted of orchestrating a military coup in the ninth month and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending court reviews.

High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after recent developments emerged.

This included seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a summons to a public vigil that could enable a chance to flee".

Judicial Records Show Flight Fears

In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his escape.

This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his son.

His child, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.

His son wrote on social media on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or observe everything from your phone there on your couch? I urge you to struggle with us."

He said the demonstration would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."

Diplomatic Refuge Fears

Part of the judge's decision was the chance of Bolsonaro's move to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of organizing to request asylum through a embassy office", a declaration said.

The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.

International Reactions

His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist American leader Trump, causing him to impose a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.

The former president is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will experience a detention review on Sunday.

Recent Judicial Appeals

It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with digital surveillance.

They also requested that he be permitted to leave his home for medical care, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other health problems.

Background on Conviction

He was found guilty of orchestrating a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the 2022 election to his political opponent, President Lula.

Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a scheme which included plans to murder his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.

The conspiracy was stopped because it failed to get the endorsement of the military leaders. The current president was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on 8 January, thousands of his backers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the federal district, the capital city.

The police intervened and around 1,500 people were detained.

The judges found that the demonstrators had been incited by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, reestablish control and return him to office.

At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.

He was also prohibited from running for public office until twenty-sixty - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.

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