The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The ex-president was convicted of plotting a government overthrow in the ninth month and handed more than 27 years in prison, but he remained under confinement pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the elderly politician was a preventative measure after fresh information were revealed.
This included attempting to break his ankle monitor and a call for a demonstration that could enable a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said intelligence from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's aim to disable the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his son.
His child, Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a assembly of his backers near his father's house to take place on the weekend.
His son wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or watch it all from your phone 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 physical condition and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the possibility of the former president's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the investigations revealed a background of arranging to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The court filing underscores that the US embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist United States President President Trump, leading him to implement a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a national police facility in the capital and will experience a custody hearing on the following day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that the former president be permitted to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other ailments.
Details of Guilty Verdict
He was found guilty of orchestrating a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the national vote to his left-wing rival, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he knew of a plot which involved plans to murder Lula and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The scheme was prevented because it didn't receive the backing of the military leaders. The current president was inaugurated without issue on the first day of 2023.
But a following week, on the eighth of January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised government buildings in the capital, the capital city.
The law enforcement stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were arrested.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been provoked by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the period, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The former president called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him running in the next presidential race.
