Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The former head of state was convicted of plotting a armed takeover in last fall and given more than over two decades in incarceration, but he continued under house arrest pending appeals.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the move to detain the elderly politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.
This encompassed seeking to disable his tracking device and a summons to a demonstration that could enable a chance to flee".
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the protest called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Will you battle for your nation, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's determination was the potential of the former president's transfer to embassies near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of planning to ask for protection through a consular facility", a announcement said.
The court filing highlights that the US embassy in the capital, the capital city, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.
Global Responses
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist United States President President Trump, causing him to impose a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.
He is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that the former president be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was found guilty of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which included plans to murder Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was prevented because it couldn't obtain the support of the military leaders. His successor was sworn in without incident on the first day of 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, numerous his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the federal district, Brazil's capital.
The security forces took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The judges found that the protesters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, restore order and bring him back to power.
At the moment, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 national vote.
