Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was convicted of plotting a armed takeover in September and sentenced more than a 27-year term in prison, but he remained under home detention pending appeals.
Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after fresh information emerged.
This encompassed seeking to disable his electronic bracelet and a invitation to a demonstration that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a document approving the arrest, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the former leader's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his child.
His child, Flávio, who serves as a senator, called for a assembly of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
The senator wrote on online platforms on the previous day: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or observe everything from your smartphone there on your sofa? I invite you to struggle with us."
He said the vigil would be so backers could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the return of democracy in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's determination was the possibility of his move to diplomatic missions near the home, considering that the probes revealed a history of planning to request asylum through a consular facility", a declaration said.
The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brasilia, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, causing him to implement a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being held in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will experience a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Supreme Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical treatment, saying he required ongoing care for respiratory ailments and other health problems.
Background on Conviction
The former president was determined responsible of heading a plot aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he knew of a plan which involved plans to murder the current president and his VP candidate, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder Alexandre de Moraes - the High Court judge who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.
The plot was prevented because it failed to get the endorsement of the armed forces officials. Lula was inaugurated without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a following week, on the eighth of January, thousands of his backers stormed and vandalised government buildings in the national capital, Brasília.
The law enforcement intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were arrested.
The judges found that the demonstrators had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, restore order and reinstate his authority.
At the time, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the trial a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the next presidential race.
