The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.
The one-time leader was convicted of planning a government overthrow in the ninth month and sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he continued under confinement pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" came to light.
This involved attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a summons to a public vigil that could facilitate a possible escape.
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said data from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his child.
His child, his son Flávio, who holds office as a legislator, called for a meeting of his supporters near his father's house to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on Friday: Will you battle for your country, or watch it all from your phone there on your settee? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could "pray for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's ruling was the potential of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the home, considering that the probes revealed a record of arranging to seek refuge through a embassy office", a declaration said.
The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, the capital city, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
Global Responses
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist United States President Trump, causing him to impose a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will have a detention review on the following day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that he be permitted to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
The former president was determined responsible of orchestrating a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the presidential race to his left-wing rival, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a plot which included plans to murder the current president and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The plot was thwarted because it didn't receive the endorsement of the armed forces officials. The current president was took office without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a seven days after, on 8 January, numerous his backers invaded and destroyed official structures in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.
The justices found that the protesters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, restore order and return him to office.
At the time, the legal team called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 national vote.
