Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The ex-president was found guilty of plotting a military coup in September and sentenced more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he remained under home detention pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after fresh information came to light.
This encompassed trying to remove his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could enable a possible escape.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the detention, the judge said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's "intention to break the surveillance device to ensure success in his escape.
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the protest called by his offspring.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a senator, called for a assembly of his backers near his father's house to take place on the weekend.
His son wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Will you battle for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could "pray for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the magistrate's decision was the chance of his transfer to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of planning to ask for protection through a embassy office", a statement said.
The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, the capital city, is located around 13km from the former president's residence.
Worldwide Consequences
His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist US President Trump, prompting him to implement a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being kept in a Federal Police station in the capital and will experience a custody hearing on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also requested that he be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was convicted of leading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Lula.
High Court judges said that he knew of a plan which included plans to assassinate the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The plot was prevented because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the armed forces officials. His successor was took office without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on the eighth of January, numerous his followers attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, Brasília.
The police stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.
The judges found that the protesters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, bring back stability and return him to office.
At the moment, the legal team called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years 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.
