Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The ex-president was convicted of planning a armed takeover in last fall and sentenced more than over two decades in incarceration, but he was staying under confinement pending appeals.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after fresh information were revealed.
This included attempting to break his ankle monitor and a summons to a public vigil that could facilitate a possible escape.
Judicial Records Show Escape Concerns
In a document approving the arrest, Justice Moraes said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the disorder caused by the protest called by his offspring.
His child, Flávio, who works as a senator, called for a gathering of his followers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
The senator wrote on online platforms on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or see it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the return of democracy in our land."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's ruling was the potential of the former president's "relocation to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The court filing highlights that the US embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.
Global Responses
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow populist conservative US President Trump, leading him to impose a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being held in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with digital surveillance.
They also asked that Bolsonaro be permitted to leave his home for healthcare, saying he required regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was determined responsible of orchestrating a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the national vote to his left-wing rival, Lula.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a plan which included plans to murder the current president and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The plot was prevented because it didn't receive the endorsement of the military leaders. Lula was inaugurated without issue on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, numerous Bolsonaro supporters stormed and vandalised official structures in the capital, the capital city.
The police intervened and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, restore order and bring him back to power.
At the time, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from running for public office until the year 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The former president called the court case a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him running in the next presidential race.
