The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was convicted of planning a government overthrow in September and handed more than a 27-year term in jail, but he remained under house arrest pending appeals.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after fresh information emerged.
This included seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a summons to a demonstration that could enable a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the detention, the judge said information from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the protest called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on last Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the demonstration would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's determination was the possibility of his transfer to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of planning to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The legal document highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
Global Responses
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President Donald Trump, leading him to impose a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.
Bolsonaro is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a custody hearing on the following day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that the former president be permitted to leave his home for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Details of Guilty Verdict
He was found guilty of orchestrating a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the presidential race to his ideological adversary, President Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he was aware of a plan which involved plans to murder his opponent and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The plot was stopped because it failed to get the endorsement of the military leaders. The current president was inaugurated without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on the eighth of January, numerous his followers stormed and vandalised official structures in the federal district, the capital city.
The security forces stepped in and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been provoked by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, reestablish control and bring him back to power.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also prohibited from running for public office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 national vote.
