Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The ex-president was found guilty of orchestrating a armed takeover in last fall and given more than over two decades in jail, but he was staying under confinement pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" were revealed.
This involved trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a call for a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the arrest, the magistrate said data from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his flight.
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the protest called by his child.
His offspring, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.
The senator wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Will you battle for your homeland, or see it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I urge you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so followers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's decision was the chance of the former president's move to foreign missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a background of planning to seek refuge through a consular facility", a declaration said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is situated around 8 miles from his dwelling.
Global Responses
His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist American leader President Trump, prompting him to implement a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will have a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that Bolsonaro be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he required frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was convicted of orchestrating a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the national vote to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plan which included plans to murder the current president and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was stopped because it couldn't obtain the support of the army and air force commanders. The current president was inaugurated without issue on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on 8 January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters attacked and damaged public facilities in the federal district, Brazil's capital.
The security forces took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been incited by him whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, restore order and reinstate his authority.
At the time, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from running for public office until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The former president called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the next presidential race.
