Jair Bolsonaro has been taken into custody after being determined a 'concrete flight risk' while under house arrest.
The former Brazilian president was found guilty of plotting a military coup in September and sentenced to more than 27 years in prison, but he remains under house arrest pending appeals.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the move to detain the 70-year-old was a preventative measure after 'new facts' came to light.
This included attempting to break his ankle monitor and a call for a public vigil that could 'allow for a possible escape'.
In a filing authorizing the arrest, Justice Moraes said information from the center monitoring Bolsonaro's house arrest suggested the former president's 'intention to break the electronic ankle bracelet to ensure success in his escape'.
This, it said, would be 'facilitated by the confusion caused by the demonstration called by his son'.
His son, Flávio, who serves as a senator, called for a gathering of his supporters near Bolsonaro's home to take place on Saturday night.
Flávio Bolsonaro wrote on social media on Friday: 'Are you going to fight for your country, or watch it all from your phone there on your sofa? I invite you to fight with us.'
He said the vigil would be so supporters could 'pray for his health and for the return of democracy in our country'.
Part of Justice Moraes's decision included the possibility of Bolsonaro's 'relocation to embassies near the residence', considering that the investigations revealed a history of planning to request asylum through diplomatic representation. The US embassy in Brasilia is located around 13km (8 miles) from Bolsonaro's home.
Bolsonaro's legal troubles have drawn the ire of fellow right-wing populist US President Donald Trump, who has imposed a 50% tariff on imports of Brazilian goods.
Held in a Federal Police station in Brasilia, Bolsonaro is set to undergo a custody hearing on Sunday.
It was only on Friday that the former president's lawyers asked the Supreme Court to allow him to serve his whole jail sentence under house arrest, with electronic monitoring.
They also requested that Bolsonaro be permitted to leave his home for medical treatment, citing regular treatment for pulmonary infections and other ailments.
Supreme Court justices stated that he was involved in a conspiracy to retain power after losing the 2022 election to rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, alongside plans that included assassination attempts and arrests.
The justices found that the rioters incited by Bolsonaro had stormed and vandalized government buildings in Brasilia on January 8, 2023, aiming for a military intervention to restore him to power.
Bolsonaro's 27-year sentence has been criticized by his legal team as 'absurdly excessive,' and he has since been barred from public office until 2060.
The former president characterized the trial as a 'witch hunt' intended to prevent his run in the upcoming 2026 presidential election.
