Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro Returns to Prison After Hospital Discharge
In Brasilia, former President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, was released from the hospital on Thursday following a week-long stay for a double hernia surgery. Subsequently, he was transported back to the federal police headquarters to continue serving his 27-year prison term for orchestrating a coup d’état aimed at prolonging his presidency.
Hospital DF Star confirmed that Bolsonaro was discharged after undergoing additional minor medical procedures post-surgery, which was completed without any complications. The Brazilian Supreme Court had approved his temporary release for the medical treatment.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, responsible for sentencing Bolsonaro, denied his request for house arrest following his hospital discharge.
Bolsonaro, who has undergone several medical procedures since a stabbing incident during a 2018 campaign rally, resides in isolation from other inmates at the federal police headquarters. His 12-square-meter (approximately 130-square-foot) room includes a bed, private bathroom, air conditioning, television, and a desk.
In a political twist last December, Bolsonaro appointed his eldest son, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, as the presidential candidate for his party in the upcoming election, setting up a challenge against the current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Neither Flávio Bolsonaro nor former first-lady Michelle Bolsonaro commented on his return to prison. However, Michelle expressed her support on social media, stating, “there is a Brazil of good people which loves you and prays for you.” She added, “We will beat the bad days.”
In September, Bolsonaro and several associates were convicted by a Supreme Court panel for attempting to disrupt Brazil’s democratic system following his 2022 election loss. The conspiracy included plans to assassinate Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and de Moraes, along with an insurrection planned for early 2023.
Bolsonaro faced additional convictions for leading an armed criminal group and attempting to violently dismantle the democratic rule of law, charges he continues to deny.
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