The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was found guilty of planning a military coup in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in jail, but he continued under home detention pending appeals.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after recent developments emerged.
This encompassed trying to remove his tracking device and a invitation to a demonstration that could facilitate a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a document approving the custody, Justice Moraes said data from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the protest called by his offspring.
His offspring, Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a gathering of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on social media on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or see it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his health and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's ruling was the chance of his transfer to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of arranging to request asylum through a embassy office", a statement said.
The legal document highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, the capital city, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
Global Responses
His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative US President Donald Trump, prompting him to enact a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being held in a national police facility in the capital and will experience a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that the former president be permitted to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he needed ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was convicted of heading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which encompassed plans to murder Lula and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The conspiracy was prevented because it failed to get the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. His successor was took office without incident on the first day of 2023.
But a seven days after, on 8 January, numerous his followers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the capital, the capital city.
The police intervened and around 1,500 people were detained.
The justices found that the rioters had been provoked by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, bring back stability and return him to office.
At the moment, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from campaigning for office until twenty-sixty - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The former president called the trial a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.
