The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.
The former head of state was sentenced of plotting a government overthrow in last fall and handed more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after fresh information emerged.
This encompassed seeking to disable his tracking device and a summons to a demonstration that could "allow for a potential flight.
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a document approving the arrest, the magistrate said data from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His son, Flávio, who serves as a legislator, called for a gathering of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your phone there on your settee? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the chance of the former president's move to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a history of organizing to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The court filing underscores that the United States embassy in the capital, the capital city, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President President Trump, prompting him to enact a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being held in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a custody hearing on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be allowed to leave his home for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
The former president was convicted of orchestrating a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plan which encompassed plans to assassinate the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.
The scheme was stopped because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the military leaders. His successor was took office without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, numerous his backers attacked and damaged government buildings in the national capital, the capital city.
The law enforcement stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.
The justices found that the protesters had been incited by him whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the next presidential race.
