The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The one-time leader was found guilty of plotting a military coup in last fall and given more than over two decades in prison, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.
Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.
This involved trying to remove his tracking device and a call for a demonstration that could "allow for a potential flight.
Judicial Records Show Flight Fears
In a document approving the arrest, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the protest called by his child.
His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a legislator, called for a assembly of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
His son wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Will you battle for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone there on your couch? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so supporters could "pray for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the possibility of his "relocation to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a consular facility", a declaration said.
The judicial paperwork highlights that the United States embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is positioned around 8 miles from his dwelling.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President President Trump, leading him to impose a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will experience a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that he be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he needed frequent medical attention for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
The former president was convicted of heading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plot which included plans to murder his opponent and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing the former president's case.
The scheme was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the support of the military leaders. His successor was took office without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, numerous his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the federal district, Brazil's capital.
The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.
The judges found that the rioters had been encouraged by him whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to step in, reestablish control and bring him back to power.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from running for public office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.
The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the next presidential race.
