Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The former head of state was found guilty of plotting a government overthrow in September and given more than over two decades in jail, but he continued under home detention pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a safety action after recent developments were revealed.
This included trying to remove his tracking device and a invitation to a demonstration that could enable a possible escape.
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a document approving the arrest, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the protest called by his son.
His offspring, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Will you battle for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your couch? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could offer prayers for his health and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the possibility of Bolsonaro's transfer to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a embassy office", a statement said.
The court filing underscores that the United States embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President Donald Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being kept in a Federal Police station in the capital and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the next day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that he be authorized to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
He was found guilty of leading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his political opponent, Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plot which encompassed plans to assassinate the current president and his running partner, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The plot was stopped because it failed to get the endorsement of the military leaders. Lula was took office without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, many his backers stormed and vandalised official structures in the federal district, Brasília.
The law enforcement intervened and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been incited by him whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, restore order and return him to office.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the court case a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the next presidential race.
