Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The one-time leader was sentenced of orchestrating a military coup in September and handed more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he continued under home detention pending appeals.
Top Judicial Official the presiding justice said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" came to light.
This included trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a possible escape.
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the custody, the judge said intelligence from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his son.
His child, his son Flávio, who serves as a senator, called for a assembly of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on social media on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or watch it all from your phone there on your couch? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the magistrate's decision was the potential of the former president's transfer to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a background of planning to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the US embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative American leader Trump, prompting him to implement a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro is being kept in a Federal Police station in the capital and will have a detention review on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with tracking devices.
They also requested that the former president be allowed to leave his home for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was convicted of heading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plan which encompassed plans to assassinate his opponent and his running partner, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing the former president's case.
The plot was prevented because it didn't receive the backing of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, thousands of his followers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the national capital, Brazil's capital.
The law enforcement intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.
The justices found that the protesters had been provoked by him whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the time, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The former president called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 national vote.
