Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was found guilty of plotting a military coup in last fall and handed more than a 27-year term in jail, but he was staying under house arrest pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" came to light.
This included trying to remove his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could facilitate a potential flight.
Judicial Records Show Flight Fears
In a document approving the custody, the judge said data from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to secure accomplishment in his escape.
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the protest called by his son.
His child, Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
The senator wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or watch it all from your phone there on your sofa? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the demonstration would be so followers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the magistrate's ruling was the possibility of his "relocation to embassies near the home, considering that the probes revealed a history of planning to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork highlights that the United States embassy in the national capital, Brasilia, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President Donald Trump, leading him to enact a fifty percent tax on goods coming from Brazil.
The former president is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will have a detention review on the following day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that he be permitted to depart his residence for medical care, saying he demanded regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
The former president was convicted of orchestrating a scheme aimed at keeping him in power after he failed to win the 2022 election to his political opponent, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he knew of a scheme which included plans to murder his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The scheme was prevented because it failed to get the endorsement of the armed forces officials. His successor was inaugurated without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, numerous his backers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the national capital, Brasília.
The police took action and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The judges found that the protesters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to step in, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also barred from running for public office until 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the trial a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him running in the next presidential race.
