The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The ex-president was convicted of planning a military coup in last fall and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he remained under house arrest pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after fresh information were revealed.
This included attempting to break his tracking device and a summons to a public vigil that could facilitate a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his child.
His son, his son Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his followers near his father's house to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could "pray for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's determination was the potential of Bolsonaro's transfer to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a record of planning to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative US President President Trump, prompting him to implement a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.
He is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will experience a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that he be authorized to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he demanded regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
The former president was determined responsible of leading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the 2022 election to his political opponent, Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a scheme which involved plans to murder his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the backing of the army and air force commanders. The current president was took office without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, thousands of his backers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the federal district, Brasília.
The law enforcement stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to step in, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also barred from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him competing in the next presidential race.
