The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.
The one-time leader was convicted of planning a military coup in last fall and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he continued under house arrest pending court reviews.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a precautionary step after recent developments came to light.
This involved seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a invitation to a demonstration that could "allow for a potential flight.
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the arrest, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the former leader's aim to disable the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his escape.
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the gathering called by his child.
His son, his son Flávio, who works as a senator, called for a assembly of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.
His son wrote on online platforms on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or see it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I call on you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's determination was the possibility of the former president's move to embassies near the home, considering that the probes revealed a record of organizing to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the United States embassy in the capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 13km from his dwelling.
Global Responses
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, prompting him to implement a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
He is being held in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will have a imprisonment assessment on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be authorized to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he required regular treatment for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was found guilty 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.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a plan which encompassed plans to assassinate his opponent and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The plot was thwarted because it failed to get the endorsement of the armed forces officials. Lula was sworn in without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on 8 January, many his followers attacked and damaged public facilities in the national capital, the capital city.
The security forces took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The justices found that the rioters had been provoked by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, reestablish control and return him to office.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also banned from running for public office until twenty-sixty - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the court case a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 presidential election.
