Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under domestic detention.
The ex-president was convicted of orchestrating a military coup in September and given more than a 27-year term in jail, but he continued under house arrest pending appeals.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the decision to arrest the elderly politician was a precautionary step after fresh information came to light.
This involved trying to remove his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could "allow for a potential flight.
Judicial Records Show Escape Risks
In a paperwork permitting the custody, the magistrate said information from the facility tracking his home detention suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His child, Flávio Bolsonaro, who holds office as a congressional representative, called for a assembly of his backers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
The senator wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or watch it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I urge you to fight with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could offer prayers for his physical condition and for the reestablishment of democratic governance in our land."
Embassy Asylum Concerns
Part of the judge's determination was the potential of Bolsonaro's transfer to foreign missions near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a history of arranging to seek refuge through a embassy office", a statement said.
The legal document highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the capital, Brasilia, is located around 13km from his dwelling.
International Reactions
The former president's legal troubles have provoked anger from fellow conservative nationalist American leader Trump, leading him to enact a 50% tariff on goods coming from Brazil.
The former president is being held in a Federal Police station in the capital and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on the following day.
Latest Court Petitions
It was only on last Friday that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the Top Court to permit him to serve his whole jail sentence under domestic detention, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be authorized to depart his residence for healthcare, saying he demanded frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
The former president was convicted of orchestrating a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the national vote to his left-wing rival, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a scheme which encompassed plans to kill Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the top judicial official who has been presiding over his judicial proceedings.
The scheme was stopped because it didn't receive the endorsement of the army and air force commanders. The current president was inaugurated without problem on January 1st, 2023.
But a following week, on 8 January, numerous his followers invaded and destroyed official structures in the national capital, the capital city.
The law enforcement stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.
The justices found that the rioters had been provoked by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, restore order and reinstate his authority.
At the time, his attorneys called the over 27-year sentence extremely harsh.
He was also banned from running for public office until the year 2060 - a decade minus two years after the end of his sentence.
The ex-leader called the legal proceedings a "witch hunt and said it was intended to stop him running in the next presidential race.
