The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The former head of state was found guilty of orchestrating a military coup in the ninth month and given more than 27 years in prison, but he remained under house arrest pending appeals.
Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after fresh information came to light.
This involved trying to remove his tracking device and a invitation to a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks
In a document approving the arrest, the judge said information from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the protest called by his offspring.
His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a legislator, called for a meeting of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
His son wrote on social media on last Friday: Will you battle for your country, or see it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I call on you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a record of organizing to seek refuge through a embassy office", a declaration said.
The legal document underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative US President Trump, leading him to implement a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will experience a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with tracking devices.
They also asked that the former president be allowed to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he demanded ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
He was found guilty of leading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plan which included plans to assassinate his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The scheme was stopped because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the armed forces officials. The current president was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, thousands of his followers attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, the capital city.
The law enforcement took action and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The justices found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by him whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The former president called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him running in the next presidential race.
