The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities determined he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was convicted of planning a military coup in September and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he continued under home detention pending legal challenges.
Top Judicial Official Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after recent developments came to light.
This encompassed seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a call for a demonstration that could enable a possible escape.
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the arrest, the judge said intelligence from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's aim to disable the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the disorder caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.
His offspring, Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a gathering of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday evening.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I invite you to struggle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our nation."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the chance of Bolsonaro's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a background of organizing to ask for protection through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The court filing highlights that the US embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is situated around 13km from his dwelling.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist US President President Trump, causing him to impose a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being detained in a national police facility in Brasilia and will undergo a custody hearing on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Top Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be authorized to depart his residence for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Context of Sentencing
Bolsonaro was found guilty of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the national vote to his political opponent, Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plot which involved plans to kill his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The scheme was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the army and air force commanders. His successor was took office without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, thousands of his backers invaded and destroyed official structures in the national capital, Brasília.
The police stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were detained.
The justices found that the protesters had been incited by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, restore order and return him to office.
At the time, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also banned from running for public office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.
The former president called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 presidential election.
