The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was convicted of plotting a armed takeover in the ninth month and handed more than 27 years in jail, but he was staying under home detention pending legal challenges.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.
This involved seeking to disable his tracking device and a invitation to a public vigil that could enable a potential flight.
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a document approving the arrest, the magistrate said intelligence from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader's aim to disable the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his child.
His son, his son Flávio, who works as a senator, called for a assembly of his followers near his father's house to take place on the weekend.
The senator wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or see it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I invite you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's ruling was the potential of his move to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a record of arranging to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The court filing highlights that the United States embassy in the capital, Brasilia, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from Bolsonaro's home.
Global Responses
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President Trump, leading him to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
The former president is being detained in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will experience a custody hearing on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to permit him to fulfill his full incarceration period under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also petitioned that he be authorized to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he demanded ongoing care for lung conditions and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of orchestrating a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a scheme which encompassed plans to assassinate the current president and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The scheme was thwarted because it didn't receive the support of the army and air force commanders. His successor was inaugurated without issue on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on the eighth of January, numerous Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed public facilities in the national capital, the capital city.
The law enforcement took action and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been incited by him whose plan, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.
At the period, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also barred from seeking elected position until twenty-sixty - eight years after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the trial a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the 2026 national vote.
