Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The ex-president was sentenced of plotting a military coup in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after fresh information emerged.
This involved attempting to break his tracking device and a call for a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a document approving the arrest, the magistrate 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 getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His son, Flávio, who holds office as a legislator, called for a assembly of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or watch it all from your phone there on your sofa? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the magistrate's ruling was the chance of his transfer to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the inquiries revealed a background of planning to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a declaration said.
The legal document emphasizes that the US embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
Global Responses
His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative United States President Donald Trump, leading him to impose a fifty percent tax on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being detained in a Federal Police station in the capital and will have a detention review on the following day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that he be allowed to leave his home for healthcare, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was convicted of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plot which encompassed plans to assassinate his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the High Court judge who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.
The conspiracy was thwarted because it didn't receive the support of the army and air force commanders. His successor was sworn in without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, numerous his followers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the federal district, the capital city.
The law enforcement intervened and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by the former president whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.
At the period, the legal team called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also banned from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The former president called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 presidential election.
