The former Brazilian leader has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The former head of state was convicted of orchestrating a armed takeover in September and sentenced more than over two decades in prison, but he remained under confinement pending appeals.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after recent developments emerged.
This encompassed attempting to break his tracking device and a call for a public vigil that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the custody, the judge said data from the centre monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the tracking monitor to ensure success in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his offspring.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a senator, called for a assembly of his followers near his father's house to take place on the weekend.
His son wrote on social media on Friday: Do you plan to struggle 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 demonstration would be so supporters could "pray for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the potential of his move to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a record of organizing to seek refuge through a embassy office", a statement said.
The court filing underscores that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is situated around approximately 13 kilometers from the former president's residence.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist American leader Donald Trump, prompting him to implement a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
He is being detained in a federal law enforcement building in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a detention review on the following day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Top Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that he be authorized to leave his home for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other health problems.
Details of Guilty Verdict
Bolsonaro was found guilty of leading a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the national vote to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plan which involved plans to assassinate the current president and his running partner, Geraldo Alckmin, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was thwarted because it didn't receive the support of the military leaders. His successor was inaugurated without incident on January 1st, 2023.
But a seven days after, on 8 January, thousands of his followers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the national capital, Brasília.
The police intervened and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The magistrates found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the time, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him participating in the next presidential race.
