Bolsonaro has been detained after authorities determined he posed a serious risk of fleeing while under house arrest.
The ex-president was sentenced of orchestrating a government overthrow in September and handed more than a 27-year term in jail, but he was staying under home detention pending appeals.
High Court Judge the presiding justice said the move to detain the septuagenarian politician was a precautionary step after "new facts" came to light.
This included seeking to disable his ankle monitor and a summons to a public vigil that could facilitate a potential flight.
Legal Document Reveals Flight Fears
In a filing authorising the custody, Justice Moraes said data from the facility tracking Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the ex-president's aim to disable the surveillance device to ensure success in his escape.
This, it said, would be assisted by the chaos caused by the gathering called by his child.
His son, Flávio, who holds office as a legislator, called for a assembly of his supporters near his father's house to take place on the weekend.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on online platforms on last Friday: Do you plan to struggle for your country, or see it all from your mobile device there on your settee? I call on you to fight with us."
He said the vigil would be so followers could seek divine intervention for his physical condition and for the restoration of democratic rule in our country."
Foreign Shelter Risks
Part of Justice Moraes's ruling was the possibility of Bolsonaro's "relocation to embassies near the residence, considering that the investigations revealed a record of organizing to request asylum through a diplomatic representation", a announcement said.
The court filing highlights that the American diplomatic mission in the federal district, Brazil's capital, is situated around 8 miles from the former president's residence.
Worldwide Consequences
Bolsonaro's legal woes have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, prompting him to impose a fifty percent tax on Brazilian product imports.
He is being kept in a federal law enforcement building in the capital and will undergo a imprisonment assessment on Sunday.
Recent Judicial Appeals
It was only on the previous day that the former president's lawyers asked the High Court to permit him to complete his entire prison term under domestic detention, with tracking devices.
They also petitioned that he be authorized to leave his home for medical care, saying he required frequent medical attention for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Details of Guilty Verdict
The former president was convicted of leading a conspiracy aimed at maintaining his control after he failed to win the 2022 election to his political opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Supreme Court justices said that he had knowledge of a plan which included plans to kill his opponent and his running partner, his vice-presidential candidate, and to imprison and murder the presiding judge - the Supreme Court justice who has been managing his judicial proceedings.
The plot was stopped because it failed to get the backing of the armed forces officials. His successor was inaugurated without incident on 1 January 2023.
But a week later, on January 8th, many Bolsonaro supporters invaded and destroyed public facilities in the national capital, Brasília.
The police stepped in and around 1,500 people were detained.
The magistrates found that the rioters had been encouraged by Bolsonaro whose strategy, they said, was for the Brazilian military to step in, restore order and return him to office.
At the time, Bolsonaro's lawyers called the decades-long sentence unreasonably severe".
He was also barred from seeking elected position until the year 2060 - eight years later after the completion of his term.
The former president called the court case a political persecution and said it was aimed at blocking him competing in the 2026 national vote.
