Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The former head of state was convicted of orchestrating a military coup in the ninth month and given more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he continued under home detention pending legal challenges.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after fresh information emerged.
This included trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a call for a public vigil that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said data from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.
His child, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your settee? I urge you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could "pray for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the magistrate's decision was the chance of his "relocation to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to request asylum through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist United States President President Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
The former president is being held in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will have a custody hearing on the next day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he needed ongoing care for lung conditions and other health problems.
Context of Sentencing
Bolsonaro was convicted of heading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the presidential race to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a scheme which encompassed plans to murder his opponent and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.
The plot was thwarted because it didn't receive the support of the army and air force commanders. His successor was inaugurated without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, many his followers attacked and damaged government buildings in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The law enforcement took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been incited by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from running for public office until twenty-sixty - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him running in the 2026 national vote.
