The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The ex-president was found guilty of orchestrating a government overthrow in September and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a preventative measure after fresh information came to light.
This included attempting to break his ankle monitor and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the arrest, the judge said data from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the protest called by his son.
His offspring, his son Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on digital networks on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or see it all from your phone there on your sofa? I call on you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so backers could offer prayers for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's decision was the chance of the former president's transfer to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a record of arranging to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The court filing underscores that the United States embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative US President Donald Trump, causing him to impose a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.
The former president is being held in a national police facility in the capital and will have a custody hearing on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that the former president be permitted to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he required regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was found guilty of leading a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 election to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plan which encompassed plans to murder Lula and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The plot was thwarted because it didn't receive the support of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without problem on the first day of 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, thousands of his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the national capital, the capital city.
The police took action and around 1,500 people were detained.
The judges found that the protesters had been provoked by him whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, restore order and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also barred from running for public office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 national vote.
