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Supreme Court approves Bolsonaro's hospital transfer for surgery
Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro will temporarily leave prison to undergo hernia surgery on Christmas Day after the Supreme Court granted permission, according to court documents released Tuesday.
Medical grounds for release
Justice Alexandre de Moraes authorized Bolsonaro's transfer to a hospital on Wednesday, December 25, for the procedure. The 70-year-old has faced persistent health issues since a 2018 stabbing during his presidential campaign left him with abdominal injuries.
In April, Bolsonaro underwent intestinal surgery, and by November, Moraes ordered round-the-clock medical care, citing his condition.
Legal and political context
Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup following his 2022 election loss to left-wing rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. A court ruled him a flight risk, transferring him from home detention to a federal police jail in Brasília in September.
His son, Flávio Bolsonaro, shared a video on X Wednesday, urging supporters to "keep praying for the president."
Controversy over sentence reduction bill
Earlier this month, tens of thousands protested in major cities against legislation that could slash Bolsonaro's sentence to under three years, according to legal experts. The bill, passed by the lower house last week, now awaits Lula's decision.
"With all due respect to the Congress, when it reaches my desk, I will veto it,"
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Lula acknowledged Congress, dominated by conservatives, could override his veto. Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump, who previously called Bolsonaro's investigation a "witch hunt," welcomed the bill's passage. The U.S. also lifted sanctions on Justice Moraes in July.
What's next
Bolsonaro's surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, with his legal team yet to comment on the procedure's impact on his incarceration. The sentence reduction bill remains a flashpoint in Brazil's political landscape.
