Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was convicted of planning a government overthrow in the ninth month and handed more than over two decades in prison, but he was staying under house arrest pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Justice Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after fresh information emerged.
This involved attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a summons to a demonstration that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the custody, the magistrate said intelligence from the centre monitoring his home detention suggested the one-time head of state's aim to disable the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his escape.
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his son.
His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a legislator, called for a meeting of his followers near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
His son wrote on online platforms on the previous day: Do you plan to struggle for your nation, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your couch? I invite you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could "pray for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our land."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the magistrate's decision was the possibility of the former president's transfer to diplomatic missions near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a history of organizing to ask for protection through a embassy office", a statement said.
The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, the capital city, is located around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.
Global Responses
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist United States President Trump, prompting him to impose a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the next day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that he be permitted to depart his residence for medical care, saying he required regular treatment for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was found guilty of leading a plot aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the national vote to his left-wing rival, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he had knowledge of a plot which encompassed plans to kill Lula and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.
The plot was stopped because it didn't receive the support of the military leaders. Lula was sworn in without problem on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on January 8th, thousands of his backers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The law enforcement intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.
The judges found that the demonstrators had been provoked by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, reestablish control and bring him back to power.
At the time, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from running for public office until the year 2060 - eight years after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the next presidential race.
