The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The ex-president was sentenced of plotting a military coup in September and sentenced more than 27 years in jail, but he remained under house arrest pending appeals.
Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a safety action after "new facts" came to light.
This included seeking to disable his tracking device and a summons to a public vigil that could "allow for a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the arrest, the magistrate said intelligence from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the tracking monitor to ensure success in his flight.
This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his offspring.
His son, Flávio, who serves as a senator, called for a gathering of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
The senator 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 sofa? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could "pray for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the chance of his transfer to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a background of planning to ask for protection through a embassy office", a declaration said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist US President President Trump, prompting him to enact a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being kept in a national police facility in Brasilia and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that the former president be allowed to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he needed regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Details of Guilty Verdict
He was found guilty of orchestrating a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a scheme which included plans to kill the current president and his running partner, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was stopped because it didn't receive the endorsement of the military leaders. Lula was took office without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, numerous his followers stormed and vandalised official structures in the federal district, the capital city.
The security forces intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.
The justices found that the demonstrators had been incited by him whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, reestablish control and return him to office.
At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also banned from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the 2026 presidential election.
