Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.
The former head of state was found guilty of planning a government overthrow in the ninth month and handed more than 27 years in incarceration, but he remained under confinement pending court reviews.
High Court Judge Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after fresh information came to light.
This encompassed seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a possible escape.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the arrest, the judge said data from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to secure accomplishment in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son.
His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
His son wrote on social media on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the magistrate's ruling was the potential of the former president's "relocation to embassies near the home, considering that the probes revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The legal document underscores that the United States embassy in the capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist United States President Donald Trump, leading him to enact a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a national police facility in Brasilia and will undergo a custody hearing on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with tracking devices.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be authorized to leave his home for medical care, saying he required regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
The former president was found guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a scheme which involved plans to murder the current president and his running partner, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The plot was thwarted because it didn't receive the support of the army and air force commanders. The current president was inaugurated without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a following week, on the eighth of January, many his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The police intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been provoked by him whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to step in, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 national vote.
