The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.
The one-time leader was found guilty of orchestrating a government overthrow in September and given more than a 27-year term in prison, but he was staying under confinement pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a safety action after recent developments were revealed.
This included attempting to break his tracking device and a summons to a demonstration that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the custody, the judge said information from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the protest called by his son.
His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
His son wrote on social media on the previous day: Will you battle for your homeland, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could "pray for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's decision was the chance of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a history of planning to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The legal document highlights that the US embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist American leader President Trump, leading him to impose a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
Bolsonaro is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the next day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with digital surveillance.
They also asked that the former president be permitted to leave his home for medical treatment, saying he needed regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
He was found guilty of heading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the national vote to his ideological adversary, President Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a scheme which encompassed plans to murder his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The scheme was thwarted because it didn't receive the backing of the armed forces officials. His successor was took office without problem on the first day of 2023.
But a week later, on the eighth of January, many his backers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the national capital, Brazil's capital.
The security forces took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been incited by him whose plan, they said, was for the country's army to take action, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the period, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also banned from campaigning for office until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him participating in the next presidential race.
