The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The ex-president was convicted of orchestrating a military coup in September and sentenced more than 27 years in incarceration, but he was staying under house arrest pending legal challenges.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after fresh information emerged.
This encompassed trying to remove his tracking device and a call for a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a document approving the custody, the judge said data from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His offspring, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I invite you to struggle with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the magistrate's determination was the potential of Bolsonaro's transfer to embassies near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a history of organizing to ask for protection through a embassy office", a declaration said.
The legal document emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, the capital city, is situated around 8 miles from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist American leader President Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will have a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be allowed to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
The former president was determined responsible of orchestrating a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
High Court judges said that he knew of a scheme which encompassed plans to kill his opponent and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing the former president's case.
The conspiracy was stopped because it couldn't obtain the support of the armed forces officials. Lula was sworn in without issue on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on 8 January, thousands of his followers invaded and destroyed public facilities in the federal district, the capital city.
The security forces stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.
The justices found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to take action, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the moment, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the trial a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 national vote.
