The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The former head of state was found guilty of orchestrating a armed takeover in last fall and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he continued under house arrest pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after recent developments came to light.
This encompassed seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said data from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's "intention to break the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his escape.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his son.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a senator, called for a meeting of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your sofa? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could "pray for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's determination was the possibility of his "relocation to foreign missions near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The court filing underscores that the US embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist American leader President Trump, causing him to implement a half-rate duty on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being held in a Federal Police station in the capital and will experience a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be allowed to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of heading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a plot which included plans to kill his opponent and his running partner, Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The scheme was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the backing of the army and air force commanders. The current president was sworn in without issue on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed public facilities in the capital, Brasília.
The law enforcement took action and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been provoked by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, restore order and bring him back to power.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the court case a targeted investigation" and said it was intended to stop him competing in the 2026 presidential election.
