Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was found guilty of orchestrating a military coup in September and sentenced more than a 27-year term in prison, but he remained under confinement pending legal challenges.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the move to detain the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after fresh information emerged.
This involved attempting to break his tracking device and a summons to a public vigil that could enable a possible escape.
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the detention, the magistrate said intelligence from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the one-time head of state's plan to remove the tracking monitor to ensure success in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the protest called by his child.
His child, his son Flávio, who works as a senator, called for a gathering of his supporters near his father's house to take place on Saturday evening.
The senator wrote on social media on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your country, or observe everything from your phone there on your settee? I invite you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so supporters could "pray for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Diplomatic Refuge Fears
Part of the judge's determination was the potential of his "relocation to embassies near the home, considering that the probes revealed a background of organizing to ask for protection through a diplomatic representation", a statement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the US embassy in the national capital, the capital city, is located around 13km from the former president's residence.
Worldwide Consequences
The former president's legal troubles have generated frustration from fellow populist conservative US President President Trump, causing him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
The former president is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the next 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 tracking devices.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be allowed to leave his home for medical care, saying he needed frequent medical attention for lung conditions and other illnesses.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was convicted of heading a conspiracy aimed at retaining his authority after he failed to win the 2022 election to his political opponent, President Lula.
High Court judges said that he was aware of a plot which encompassed plans to assassinate his opponent and his running partner, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Justice Moraes - the top judicial official who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The plot was prevented because it didn't receive the endorsement of the military leaders. His successor was took office without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a seven days after, on 8 January, many Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed government buildings in the capital, the capital city.
The security forces stepped in and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The judges found that the protesters had been incited by the former president whose plan, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, restore order and return him to office.
At the time, the legal team called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until 2060 - eight years after the completion of his term.
The ex-leader called the court case a political persecution and said it was designed to prevent him running in the 2026 presidential election.
