The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.
The ex-president was sentenced of plotting a military coup in last fall and sentenced more than over two decades in prison, but he remained under house arrest pending appeals.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.
This encompassed trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a call for a supporters' gathering that could enable a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's "intention to break the surveillance device to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his child.
His child, his son Flávio, who holds office as a senator, called for a meeting of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or see it all from your smartphone there on your settee? I urge you to battle with us."
He said the vigil would be so supporters could "pray for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's determination was the chance of Bolsonaro's "relocation to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of planning to seek refuge through a consular facility", a declaration said.
The legal document highlights that the United States embassy in the capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 13km from the former president's residence.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative American leader Donald Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will have a custody hearing on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with tracking devices.
They also asked that he be permitted to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he required regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was convicted of heading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a scheme which involved plans to murder Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been managing the former president's case.
The scheme was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the armed forces officials. The current president was took office without issue on the first day of 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised official structures in the capital, the capital city.
The police took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been incited by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the period, the legal team called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also barred from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.
The one-time head of state called the trial a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 presidential election.
