The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The former head of state was sentenced of planning a armed takeover in September and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a preventative measure after fresh information emerged.
This included attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a demonstration that could facilitate a potential flight.
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the custody, Justice Moraes said data from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to ensure success in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.
His offspring, Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.
The senator wrote on digital networks on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your country, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could offer prayers for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's decision was the potential of Bolsonaro's "relocation to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a history of planning to seek refuge through a consular facility", a statement said.
The legal document highlights that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist United States President Donald Trump, causing him to implement a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will undergo a detention review on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be authorized to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he demanded ongoing care for lung conditions and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a scheme which involved plans to murder his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The scheme was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the military leaders. His successor was took office without problem on the first day of 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, many Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised official structures in the national capital, Brazil's capital.
The police intervened 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 step in, restore order and return him to office.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The former president called the court case a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him competing in the next presidential race.
