Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a definite escape threat while under home confinement.
The former head of state was convicted of plotting a armed takeover in September and sentenced more than a 27-year term in prison, but he continued under home detention pending appeals.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the move to detain the elderly politician was a safety action after "new facts" emerged.
This included trying to remove his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Court Filing Details Flight Fears
In a document approving the arrest, Justice Moraes said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the tracking monitor to secure accomplishment in his flight.
This, it said, would be assisted by the confusion caused by the protest called by his offspring.
His offspring, Flávio Bolsonaro, who works as a legislator, called for a assembly of his backers near his father's house to take place on Saturday night.
His son wrote on social media on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your nation, or see it all from your mobile device there on your couch? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the gathering would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our country."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the magistrate's determination was the chance of Bolsonaro's move to foreign missions near the residence, considering that the probes revealed a background of organizing to seek refuge through a embassy office", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is located around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist American leader Trump, causing him to implement a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
He is being held in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will undergo a detention review on the next day.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that he be permitted to leave his home for healthcare, saying he required regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
The former president was convicted of orchestrating a scheme aimed at retaining his authority after he lost the national vote to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he knew of a plot which involved plans to murder his opponent and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to detain and kill the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The plot was prevented because it didn't receive the backing of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without issue on 1 January 2023.
But a following week, on January 8th, many his backers attacked and damaged government buildings in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The security forces stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.
The justices found that the demonstrators had been provoked by him whose scheme, they said, was for the national armed forces to take action, bring back stability and return him to office.
At the time, the legal team called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also barred from seeking elected position until 2060 - eight years later after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him running in the next presidential race.
