Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was convicted of plotting a military coup in the ninth month and handed more than a 27-year term in prison, but he remained under house arrest pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.
This encompassed attempting to break his tracking device and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could enable a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks
In a document approving the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's plan to remove the surveillance device to ensure success in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his child.
His son, Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
The senator wrote on digital networks on Friday: Will you battle for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your settee? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's ruling was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of organizing to request asylum through a embassy office", a statement said.
The legal document highlights that the US embassy in the capital, the capital city, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.
Global Responses
Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist American leader Trump, leading him to implement a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also asked that he be permitted to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was convicted of heading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the national vote to his ideological adversary, President Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plan which involved plans to assassinate Lula and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.
The scheme was prevented because it failed to get the endorsement of the armed forces officials. His successor was took office without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, many Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged public facilities in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The security forces intervened and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been encouraged by him whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, restore order and return him to office.
At the moment, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also banned from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 presidential election.
