Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The former head of state was found guilty of planning a armed takeover in last fall and sentenced more than over two decades in jail, but he was staying under confinement pending appeals.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the action to imprison the septuagenarian politician was a safety action after "new facts" were revealed.
This included trying to remove his electronic bracelet and a summons to a demonstration that could facilitate a chance to flee".
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a document approving the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the confusion caused by the gathering called by his child.
His child, Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a gathering of his supporters near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on digital networks on the previous day: Will you battle for your country, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could "pray for his health and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of Justice Moraes's decision was the possibility of Bolsonaro's transfer to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the inquiries revealed a history of organizing to seek refuge through a consular facility", a announcement said.
The court filing emphasizes that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, the capital city, is positioned around 13km from Bolsonaro's home.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, leading him to implement a half-rate duty on goods coming from Brazil.
Bolsonaro is being held in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will experience a custody hearing on the following day.
Latest Court Petitions
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 electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that he be allowed to exit his dwelling for medical care, saying he required regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was convicted of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he was defeated in the 2022 election to his ideological adversary, President Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plan which included plans to assassinate the current president and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.
The conspiracy was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the army and air force commanders. The current president was sworn in without problem on the first day of 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, many his followers attacked and damaged public facilities in the federal district, Brazil's capital.
The police intervened and around 1,500 people were detained.
The justices found that the rioters had been incited by him whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to take action, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also barred from running for public office until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was aimed at blocking him running in the 2026 national vote.
