Bolsonaro has been arrested after authorities found he posed a definite escape threat while under house arrest.
The one-time leader was convicted of planning a military coup in the ninth month and handed more than over two decades in incarceration, but he was staying under confinement pending legal challenges.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice the presiding justice said the action to imprison the 70-year-old politician was a preventative measure after recent developments emerged.
This involved attempting to break his electronic bracelet and a call for a demonstration that could "allow for a possible escape.
Court Filing Details Escape Risks
In a filing authorising the arrest, the judge said intelligence from the unit overseeing the former president's confinement suggested the ex-president's "intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to guarantee victory in his getaway".
This, it said, would be made easier by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his child.
His offspring, Flávio, who works as a legislator, called for a assembly of his backers near Bolsonaro's home to take place on the weekend.
His son wrote on digital networks on last Friday: "Are you going to fight for your homeland, or watch it all from your smartphone there on your settee? I urge you to struggle with us."
He said the vigil would be so supporters could seek divine intervention for his well-being and for the restoration of democratic rule in our land."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of the judge's decision was the potential of his "relocation to embassies near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a record of arranging to request asylum through a embassy office", a announcement said.
The judicial paperwork emphasizes that the US embassy in the federal district, Brasilia, is situated around 13km from his dwelling.
International Reactions
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow conservative nationalist US President Donald Trump, causing him to impose a half-rate duty on imports of Brazilian goods.
The former president is being kept in a national police facility in Brazil's capital city and will have a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Recent Legal Requests
It was only on the previous day that the ex-leader's attorneys asked the High Court to allow him to complete his entire prison term under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also asked that the former president be allowed to leave his home for healthcare, saying he needed ongoing care for lung conditions and other ailments.
Context of Sentencing
He was convicted of heading a plot aimed at retaining his authority after he was defeated in the presidential race to his left-wing rival, Lula.
Top judicial officials said that he was aware of a plot which involved plans to kill his opponent and his VP candidate, Alckmin, and to detain and kill Alexandre de Moraes - the top judicial official who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial.
The conspiracy was thwarted because it failed to get the backing of the military leaders. His successor was inaugurated without incident on the first day of 2023.
But a week later, on 8 January, numerous his backers stormed and vandalised public facilities in the capital, Brasília.
The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were taken into custody.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been provoked by him whose scheme, they said, was for the Brazilian military to intervene, restore order and reinstate his authority.
At the period, his attorneys called the 27 years and three months sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also prohibited from campaigning for office until twenty-sixty - eight years after the completion of his term.
The one-time head of state called the court case a "witch hunt and said it was designed to prevent him competing in the next presidential race.
