The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under home confinement.
The former head of state was convicted of orchestrating a military coup in the ninth month and given more than over two decades in prison, but he remained under house arrest pending court reviews.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after recent developments were revealed.
This involved trying to remove his tracking device and a invitation to a public vigil that could facilitate a potential flight.
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the detention, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the protest called by his son.
His son, Flávio, who holds office as a legislator, called for a gathering of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday evening.
His son wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Will you battle for your homeland, or see it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I invite you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could offer prayers for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the magistrate's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to foreign missions near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of arranging to ask for protection through a consular facility", a statement said.
The legal document emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brasilia, is located around 13km from his dwelling.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, leading him to impose a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being held in a national police facility in Brasilia and will have a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that the former president be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he demanded regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was found guilty of heading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the presidential race to his political opponent, Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a scheme which encompassed plans to murder Lula and his running partner, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The conspiracy was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the backing of the military leaders. His successor was took office without issue on 1 January 2023.
But a following week, on 8 January, numerous his backers invaded and destroyed official structures in the federal district, Brazil's capital.
The security forces intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The judges found that the demonstrators had been incited by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, reestablish control and return him to office.
At the period, 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 end of his sentence.
The former president called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him running in the 2026 presidential election.
