Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was convicted of planning a military coup in the ninth month and sentenced 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 action to imprison the elderly politician was a precautionary step after recent developments were revealed.
This encompassed seeking to disable his tracking device and a summons to a demonstration that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns
In a document approving the custody, the magistrate said data from the centre monitoring the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the protest called by his son.
His son, Flávio, who serves as a senator, called for a gathering of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your sofa? I invite you to struggle with us."
He said the vigil would be so backers could offer prayers for his health and for the return of democracy in our land."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the magistrate's ruling was the possibility of Bolsonaro's move to embassies near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a background of arranging to ask for protection through a consular facility", a declaration said.
The court filing highlights that the US embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
Worldwide Consequences
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President Donald Trump, leading him to enact a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being detained in a national police facility in the capital and will experience a custody hearing on the following day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that he be authorized to depart his residence for medical care, saying he needed frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
He was determined responsible of leading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plot which involved plans to assassinate the current president and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.
The scheme was stopped because it failed to get the support of the military leaders. His successor was took office without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a following week, on 8 January, many his followers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the capital, the capital city.
The law enforcement stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The judges found that the rioters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, reestablish control and return him to office.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also barred from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him participating in the 2026 presidential election.
