Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.
The one-time leader was convicted of planning a armed takeover in the ninth month and sentenced more than 27 years in incarceration, but he remained under confinement pending court reviews.
High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" came to light.
This encompassed seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a invitation to a demonstration that could "allow for a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the judge said data from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I urge you to battle with us."
He said the vigil would be so supporters could "pray for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a record of planning to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The court filing highlights that the US embassy in the capital, the capital city, is situated around 13km from his dwelling.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President Trump, leading him to implement a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
The former president is being detained in a national police facility in Brasilia and will have a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that the former president be authorized to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he needed ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was found guilty of orchestrating a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, Lula.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a plan which involved plans to murder his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The scheme was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. The current president was sworn in without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, thousands of his followers invaded and destroyed official structures in the federal district, the capital city.
The security forces stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.
The judges found that the rioters 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 period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from running for public office until 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.
The former president called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 presidential election.
