Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after authorities concluded he posed a concrete flight risk while under domestic detention.
The ex-president was found guilty of plotting a armed takeover in last fall and handed more than a 27-year term in jail, but he remained under home detention pending legal challenges.
Top Judicial Official Alexandre de Moraes said the decision to arrest the septuagenarian politician was a preventative measure after "new facts" came to light.
This included attempting to break his ankle monitor and a summons to a supporters' gathering that could "allow for a possible escape.
Legal Document Reveals Escape Concerns
In a document approving the detention, the magistrate said data from the unit overseeing Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former leader'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 demonstration called by his child.
His son, his son Flávio, who works as a congressional representative, called for a meeting of his followers near the former president's residence to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your homeland, or see it all from your mobile device there on your sofa? I call on you to battle with us."
He said the demonstration would be so backers could "pray for his health and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the magistrate's determination was the chance of the former president's move to embassies near the dwelling, considering that the probes revealed a background of arranging to seek refuge through a embassy office", a declaration said.
The judicial paperwork underscores that the United States embassy in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is positioned around 8 miles from his dwelling.
Global Responses
Bolsonaro's legal woes have provoked anger from fellow right-wing populist American leader Donald Trump, leading him to implement a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro is being held in a Federal Police station in Brazil's capital city and will have a detention review on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on last Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Top Court to allow him to fulfill his full incarceration period under home confinement, with tracking devices.
They also asked that the former president be allowed to exit his dwelling for healthcare, saying he required regular treatment for lung conditions and other ailments.
Background on Conviction
Bolsonaro was found guilty of leading a scheme aimed at maintaining his control after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Top judicial officials said that he had knowledge of a plot which involved plans to assassinate Lula and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to arrest and execute the presiding judge - the High Court judge who has been presiding over the former president's case.
The scheme was thwarted because it couldn't obtain the backing of the army and air force commanders. His successor was took office without problem on the first day of 2023.
But a seven days after, on 8 January, thousands of his followers attacked and damaged official structures in the federal district, Brasília.
The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were arrested.
The judges found that the rioters had been incited by the former president whose strategy, they said, was for the national armed forces to intervene, bring back stability and bring him back to power.
At the moment, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the 27 years and three months sentence "absurdly excessive.
He was also banned from campaigning for office until the year 2060 - eight years after the conclusion of his imprisonment.
The one-time head of state called the legal proceedings a targeted investigation" and said it was designed to prevent him participating in the next presidential race.
