Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The former head of state was convicted of orchestrating a government overthrow in September and handed more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he remained under house arrest pending appeals.
Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" came to light.
This involved seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a invitation to a demonstration that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the protest called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a legislator, called for a assembly of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so supporters could "pray for his health and for the return of democracy in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the magistrate's decision was the potential of Bolsonaro's move to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of planning to seek refuge through a consular facility", a announcement said.
The legal document emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brasilia, is situated around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President Donald Trump, causing him to impose a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being detained in a Federal Police station in the capital and will have a custody hearing on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the High Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that the former president be allowed to leave his home for healthcare, saying he needed ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
He was determined responsible of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the national vote to his ideological adversary, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plan which included plans to assassinate the current president and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The scheme was stopped because it didn't receive the support of the military leaders. Lula was inaugurated without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, thousands of his backers attacked and damaged government buildings in the capital, Brasília.
The police took action and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The justices found that the rioters had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 national vote.
