The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The ex-president was convicted of planning a military coup in September and handed more than 27 years in incarceration, but he continued under home detention pending legal challenges.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after recent developments came to light.
This encompassed trying to remove his tracking device and a summons to a demonstration that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the custody, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his escape.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the protest called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
His son wrote on online platforms on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I urge you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the potential of the former president's move to embassies near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a background of organizing to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The legal document emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, the capital city, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President Trump, prompting him to enact a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a custody hearing on the next day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
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 house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also asked that the former president be allowed to depart his residence for medical care, saying he required ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of orchestrating a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a scheme which included plans to assassinate the current president and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The plot was prevented because it didn't receive the support of the armed forces officials. The current president was inaugurated without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, thousands of his backers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the federal district, the capital city.
The police intervened and around 1,500 people were detained.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been provoked by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, bring back stability and return him to office.
At the moment, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also barred from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him running in the 2026 presidential election.
