Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under home confinement.
The ex-president was sentenced of planning a government overthrow in September and handed more than 27 years in prison, but he continued under confinement pending appeals.
High Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the elderly politician was a safety action after "new facts" came to light.
This included trying to remove his ankle monitor and a invitation to a demonstration that could enable a possible escape.
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the custody, Justice Moraes said intelligence from the unit overseeing his home detention suggested the ex-president's plan to remove the surveillance device to guarantee victory in his flight.
This, it said, would be "facilitated by the chaos caused by the protest called by his child.
His son, Flávio, who holds office as a legislator, called for a assembly of his followers near his father's house to take place on the weekend.
His son wrote on social media on Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or observe everything from your mobile device there on your settee? I call on you to struggle with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could offer prayers for his health and for the return of democracy in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's ruling was the potential of the former president's "relocation to diplomatic missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a record of organizing to seek refuge through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the national capital, Brasilia, is located around 8 miles from his dwelling.
International Reactions
His judicial problems have generated frustration from fellow conservative nationalist United States President Donald Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on Brazilian product imports.
Bolsonaro is being detained in a national police facility in Brasilia and will experience a detention review on the next day.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on Friday that the his legal team asked the Supreme Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also petitioned that Bolsonaro be authorized to depart his residence for medical treatment, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Context of Sentencing
He was determined responsible of heading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 election to his political opponent, Lula.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plan which encompassed plans to kill Lula and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been managing the former president's case.
The plot was prevented because it didn't receive the support of the armed forces officials. The current president was sworn in without issue on January 1st, 2023.
But a following week, on the eighth of January, numerous his followers invaded and destroyed public facilities in the capital, Brazil's capital.
The security forces intervened and around fifteen hundred individuals were detained.
The judges found that the protesters had been encouraged by him whose scheme, they said, was for the country's army to intervene, bring back stability and reinstate his authority.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the over 27-year sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from seeking elected position until 2060 - a decade minus two years after the completion of his term.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the next presidential race.
