The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The ex-president was found guilty of plotting a armed takeover in September and sentenced more than 27 years in jail, but he continued under confinement pending appeals.
Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after recent developments emerged.
This involved trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a summons to a demonstration that could "allow for a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the custody, the judge said information from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his child.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a legislator, called for a meeting of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so supporters could "pray for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our country."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the magistrate's determination was the potential of Bolsonaro's move to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a background of planning to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The legal document underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, the capital city, is situated around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
Global Responses
The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow right-wing populist US President President Trump, causing him to impose a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.
He is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will undergo a custody hearing on the following day.
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 he be permitted to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he needed regular treatment for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of orchestrating a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the presidential race to his ideological adversary, Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which encompassed plans to murder Lula and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The plot was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. His successor was took office without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on the eighth of January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised public facilities in the federal district, Brasília.
The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been encouraged by him whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to take action, restore order and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also barred from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the next presidential race.
