The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The ex-president was found guilty of plotting a government overthrow in last fall and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he remained under home detention pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" emerged.
This included trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a call for a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the detention, the magistrate said information from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the tracking monitor to ensure success in his escape.
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his son.
His son, Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
The senator wrote on online platforms on Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I urge you to battle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the return of democracy in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's decision was the possibility of the former president's "relocation to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of organizing to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the US embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative US President Trump, leading him to impose a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being kept in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will have a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also asked that Bolsonaro be authorized to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he needed regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other ailments.
Details of Guilty Verdict
He was found guilty of orchestrating a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plan which encompassed plans to assassinate Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing the former president's case.
The plot was stopped because it failed to get the support of the military leaders. Lula was sworn in without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, many his backers attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, the capital city.
The security forces took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, reestablish control and bring him back to power.
At the time, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - a decade minus two 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 presidential election.
