The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The ex-president was found guilty of plotting a military coup in the ninth month and sentenced more than 27 years in jail, but he continued under confinement pending appeals.
Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.
This encompassed seeking to disable his tracking device and a invitation to a public vigil that could enable a possible escape.
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the judge said intelligence from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a senator, called for a gathering of his supporters near his father's house to take place on the weekend.
His son wrote on online platforms on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your settee? I call on you to fight with us."
He said the demonstration would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's decision was the potential of his "relocation to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a background of organizing to request asylum through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The court filing highlights that the US embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist United States President President Trump, prompting him to implement a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will experience a custody hearing on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be allowed to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he needed regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.
Context of Sentencing
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of leading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the presidential race to his ideological adversary, President Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plot which encompassed plans to assassinate the current president and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was prevented because it failed to get the support of the military leaders. The current president was took office without issue on the first day of 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, Brasília.
The police stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.
The justices found that the protesters had been incited by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, restore order and return him to office.
At the period, the legal team called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The former president called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the next presidential race.
