Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The former head of state was convicted of plotting a military coup in last fall and handed more than 27 years in incarceration, but he continued under home detention pending legal challenges.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after fresh information were revealed.
This encompassed attempting to break his ankle monitor and a invitation to a public vigil that could enable a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the arrest, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's plan to remove the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio, who works as a senator, called for a gathering of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on social media on last Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or see it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the demonstration would be so supporters could offer prayers for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's decision was the chance of the former president's transfer to embassies near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork highlights that the US embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is positioned around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist United States President President Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will have a detention review on the following day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that he be permitted to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was convicted of leading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a scheme which involved plans to assassinate the current president and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing the former president's case.
The plot was prevented because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the armed forces officials. His successor was sworn in without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a following week, on the eighth of January, many his backers invaded and destroyed official structures in the capital, the capital city.
The security forces stepped in and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.
The judges found that the rioters had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the moment, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until twenty-sixty - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The former president called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 national vote.