The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under domestic detention.
The one-time leader was sentenced of orchestrating a government overthrow in last fall and sentenced more than 27 years in prison, but he continued under house arrest pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the 70-year-old politician was a precautionary step after fresh information emerged.
This included trying to remove his tracking device and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could facilitate a possible escape.
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the arrest, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the tracking monitor to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.
His child, his son Flávio, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Will you battle for your nation, or see it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I invite you to struggle with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's ruling was the chance of the former president's transfer to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a record of arranging to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, the capital city, is positioned around approximately 13 kilometers from his dwelling.
Global Responses
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow populist conservative US President Donald Trump, prompting him to impose a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a Federal Police station in the capital and will experience a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with tracking devices.
They also asked that Bolsonaro be permitted to depart his residence for medical care, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other ailments.
Context of Sentencing
Bolsonaro was found guilty of heading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he lost the presidential race to his left-wing rival, President Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plot which encompassed plans to murder his opponent and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was stopped because it couldn't obtain the backing of the army and air force commanders. The current president was sworn in without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, numerous his followers stormed and vandalised official structures in the federal district, Brasília.
The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been incited by him whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the period, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until twenty-sixty - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The former president called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the next presidential race.
