The former Brazilian leader has been arrested after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The ex-president was sentenced of orchestrating a military coup in September and sentenced more than 27 years in jail, but he remained under house arrest pending court reviews.
Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a preventative measure after fresh information came to light.
This involved attempting to break his tracking device and a call for a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns
In a filing authorising the custody, the magistrate said data from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be made easier by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.
His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his backers near his father's house to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or see it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the chance of Bolsonaro's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a history of arranging to ask for protection through a consular facility", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork highlights that the US embassy in the national capital, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist US President President Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
The former president is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will have a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the his legal team asked the High Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that the former president be authorized to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he needed regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
He was convicted of heading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his political opponent, President Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a scheme which encompassed plans to assassinate the current president and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The scheme was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without problem on January 1st, 2023.
But a seven days after, on 8 January, thousands of his followers invaded and destroyed public facilities in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The law enforcement stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.
The judges found that the rioters had been provoked by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, reestablish control and return him to office.
At the moment, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from running for public office until 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the 2026 national vote.
