Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The ex-president was found guilty of planning a government overthrow in September and given more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he remained under home detention pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after fresh information were revealed.
This involved seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a invitation to a public vigil that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the arrest, the magistrate said information from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.
His son, Flávio, who holds office as a legislator, called for a meeting of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.
His son wrote on social media on the previous day: Will you battle for your country, or see it all from your smartphone there on your settee? I urge you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could "pray for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's move to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a history of organizing to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said.
The legal document emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brasilia, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
He is being kept in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Top Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also petitioned that he be permitted to leave his home for medical care, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.
Context of Sentencing
He was convicted of leading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Lula.
High Court judges said that he knew of a scheme which included plans to kill the current president and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was prevented because it didn't receive the support of the armed forces officials. The current president was inaugurated without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed public facilities in the federal district, Brazil's capital.
The security forces took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, restore order and reinstate his authority.
At the time, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from campaigning for office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 national vote.
