The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities determined he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The former head of state was found guilty of orchestrating a government overthrow in the ninth month and handed more than 27 years in jail, but he remained under home detention pending appeals.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the move to detain the elderly politician was a precautionary step after recent developments were revealed.
This encompassed attempting to break his tracking device and a call for a demonstration that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a paperwork permitting the custody, the judge said information from the facility tracking the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the protest called by his son.
His son, his son Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your smartphone there on your sofa? I call on you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our nation."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the potential of the former president's "relocation to foreign missions near the home, considering that the inquiries revealed a record of planning to request asylum through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The court filing underscores that the United States embassy in the federal district, the capital city, is located around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
Global Responses
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist United States President President Trump, causing him to enact a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being held in a Federal Police station in Brasilia and will undergo a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to authorize him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with digital surveillance.
They also petitioned that the former president be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he needed ongoing care for lung conditions and other health problems.
Context of Sentencing
Bolsonaro was determined responsible of heading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a scheme which included plans to kill Lula and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing the former president's case.
The conspiracy was thwarted because it failed to get the support of the military leaders. The current president was sworn in without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, thousands of his backers invaded and destroyed public facilities in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The security forces stepped in and around approximately 1,500 persons were taken into custody.
The justices found that the protesters had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, restore order and return him to office.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from running for public office until twenty-sixty - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the next presidential race.
