Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The former head of state was convicted of planning a military coup in September and given more than a 27-year term in incarceration, but he continued under house arrest pending appeals.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the move to detain the elderly politician was a preventative measure after fresh information came to light.
This encompassed seeking to disable his tracking device and a call for a public vigil that could "allow for a possible escape.
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, the magistrate said information from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the tracking monitor to ensure success in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his son.
His son, his son Flávio, who serves as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
The senator wrote on social media on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or see it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could offer prayers for his health and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the potential of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a consular facility", a declaration said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the United States embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is positioned around 13km from his dwelling.
Worldwide Consequences
His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist United States President Trump, prompting him to enact a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brasilia and will have a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be permitted to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he required regular treatment for respiratory ailments and other ailments.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was convicted of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the presidential race to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a scheme which encompassed plans to murder the current president and his VP candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The plot was thwarted because it failed to get the backing of the army and air force commanders. Lula was took office without problem on the first day of 2023.
But a seven days after, on 8 January, thousands of his backers attacked and damaged official structures in the national capital, the capital city.
The law enforcement took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.
The judges found that the protesters had been incited by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, restore order and return him to office.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also banned from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 presidential election.
