Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.
The ex-president was convicted of plotting a government overthrow in the ninth month and given more than a 27-year term in prison, but he continued under home detention pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" were revealed.
This involved seeking to disable his tracking device and a summons to a demonstration that could enable a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a document approving the custody, the magistrate said data from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the protest called by his offspring.
His son, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
The senator wrote on social media on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or see it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I urge you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the chance of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a background of organizing to request asylum through a consular facility", a statement said.
The legal document highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, the capital city, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
Global Responses
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist US President President Trump, prompting him to implement a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being kept in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the next day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with digital surveillance.
They also asked that he be allowed to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
He was determined responsible of heading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the presidential race to his ideological adversary, Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plot which involved plans to assassinate the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, 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 plot was thwarted because it didn't receive the backing of the army and air force commanders. His successor was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a following week, on 8 January, thousands of his followers attacked and damaged government buildings in the capital, the capital city.
The security forces stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The justices found that the rioters had been incited by him whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, reestablish control and return him to office.
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 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The former president called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him participating in the next presidential race.
