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Jair Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.

The former head of state was found guilty of orchestrating a military coup in the ninth month and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.

Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" emerged.

This involved attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee".

Court Filing Details Escape Concerns

In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president'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 demonstration called by his child.

His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a senator, called for a assembly of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.

The senator wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or see it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I call on you to fight with us."

He said the demonstration would be so followers could "pray for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."

Embassy Asylum Concerns

Part of the judge's determination was the chance of Bolsonaro's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of organizing to seek refuge through a embassy office", a declaration said.

The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 8 miles from his dwelling.

International Reactions

Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative American leader Trump, leading him to impose a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.

He is being kept in a Federal Police station in the capital and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.

Latest Court Petitions

It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with digital surveillance.

They also petitioned that the former president be allowed to leave his home for healthcare, saying he needed ongoing care for lung conditions and other ailments.

Context of Sentencing

He was convicted of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the presidential race to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plot which involved plans to assassinate his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.

The plot was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the backing of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without problem on 1 January 2023.

But a seven days after, on January 8th, numerous Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised government buildings in the national capital, Brazil's capital.

The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were detained.

The magistrates found that the protesters had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.

At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".

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

The ex-leader called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 presidential election.