Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The former head of state was convicted of orchestrating a government overthrow in September and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he remained under confinement pending legal challenges.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after recent developments came to light.
This involved trying to remove his ankle monitor and a call for a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the judge said information from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the former leader's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the protest called by his child.
His child, his son Flávio, who holds office as a legislator, called for a meeting of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or watch it all from your phone there on your couch? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could "pray for his health and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's ruling was the potential of his "relocation to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the investigations revealed a record of organizing to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brasilia, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative United States President Donald Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will experience a custody hearing on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that he be permitted to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
He was found guilty of heading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the national vote to his ideological adversary, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he knew of a plan which included plans to kill Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The plot was prevented because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. His successor was inaugurated without issue on 1 January 2023.
But a following week, on 8 January, many Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged government buildings in the federal district, Brasília.
The police took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.
The justices found that the rioters had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.
At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from running for public office until 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The one-time head of state called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 national vote.
