Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was found guilty of plotting a armed takeover in September and given more than 27 years in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after fresh information emerged.
This involved attempting to break his ankle monitor and a summons to a public vigil that could facilitate a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said data from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his child.
His child, Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his supporters near his father's house to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or observe everything from your phone there on your sofa? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the demonstration would be so followers could "pray for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the potential of Bolsonaro's transfer to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of planning to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The legal document underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brasilia, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President President Trump, causing him to enact a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also petitioned that he be permitted to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he needed frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Context of Sentencing
The former president was determined responsible of heading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, President Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plan which encompassed plans to murder his opponent and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.
The plot was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the backing of the army and air force commanders. Lula was sworn in without issue on the first day of 2023.
But a following week, on 8 January, numerous his followers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the capital, Brasília.
The law enforcement intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.
The justices found that the protesters had been incited by him whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to take action, restore order and bring him back to power.
At the period, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also banned from running for public office until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 presidential election.
