The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The former head of state was convicted of planning a armed takeover in September and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he continued under home detention pending legal challenges.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.
This involved attempting to break his ankle monitor and a call for a demonstration that could enable a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the custody, the judge said data from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the former leader's aim to disable the surveillance device to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His son, his son Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your country, or see it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could "pray for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's determination was the potential of the former president's transfer to embassies near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of organizing to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the United States embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is positioned around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Global Responses
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist US President Trump, prompting him to implement a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will experience a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also asked that he be authorized to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was convicted of leading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which encompassed plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing the former president's case.
The plot was thwarted because it failed to get the backing of the army and air force commanders. Lula was sworn in without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, many his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the federal district, Brasília.
The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, restore order and reinstate his authority.
At the period, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also banned from running for public office until the year 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.
