The former Brazilian leader has been detained after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.
The ex-president was sentenced of orchestrating a military coup in the ninth month and given more than 27 years in jail, but he was staying under home detention pending court reviews.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a safety action after fresh information were revealed.
This included trying to remove his ankle monitor and a invitation to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the arrest, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the former leader's aim to disable the surveillance device to ensure success in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the protest called by his offspring.
His son, his son Flávio, who works as a senator, called for a meeting of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on the weekend.
His son wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I call on you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so backers could offer prayers for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our nation."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of Justice Moraes's determination was the possibility of the former president's move to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a record of arranging to seek refuge through a embassy office", a declaration said.
The legal document highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 8 miles from his dwelling.
Global Responses
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist US President President Trump, leading him to impose a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.
He is being detained in a national police facility in the capital and will experience a imprisonment assessment on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on the previous day that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to authorize him to fulfill his full incarceration period under domestic detention, with tracking devices.
They also requested that the former president be permitted to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other health problems.
Context of Sentencing
The former president was found guilty of leading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
High Court judges said that he knew of a plan which included plans to assassinate his opponent and his vice-presidential running mate, Alckmin, and to arrest and execute Justice Moraes - the Supreme Court justice who has been overseeing his judicial proceedings.
The conspiracy was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the military leaders. Lula was took office without problem on January 1st, 2023.
But a following week, on 8 January, thousands of his followers invaded and destroyed government buildings in the national capital, Brasília.
The security forces took action and around 1,500 people were detained.
The magistrates found that the protesters had been incited by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, reestablish control and reinstate his authority.
At the time, his attorneys called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also prohibited from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years later after the end of his sentence.
The one-time head of state called the trial a political persecution and said it was intended to stop him competing in the next presidential race.
