Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro has been granted temporary permission to leave prison to undergo surgery on Christmas Day, following approval by the country’s Supreme Court.
Court documents show that Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Tuesday authorised Bolsonaro’s transfer from detention to a hospital for a hernia operation scheduled for 25 December. The 70-year-old former leader is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup after losing Brazil’s 2022 presidential election.
Bolsonaro has suffered recurring health complications since he was stabbed in the abdomen during his 2018 campaign. In April this year, he underwent intestinal surgery, and by November Justice Moraes ordered that he receive round-the-clock medical care while in custody.
The former president has been held in a federal police jail in Brasília after authorities ruled he posed a flight risk, leading to the revocation of his home detention. His son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, shared a video on social media on Wednesday urging supporters to pray for his father.
Bolsonaro was convicted in September of attempting to overturn the 2022 election results, which saw him defeated by his left-wing rival, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The verdict capped months of legal proceedings overseen by Justice Moraes.
The case has continued to stir political tensions across Brazil. Earlier this month, tens of thousands of Bolsonaro supporters staged protests in major cities against proposed legislation aimed at sharply reducing his prison term. The bill, which passed Congress last week, could potentially cut his sentence to less than three years, according to legal experts.
President Lula has vowed to block the legislation, saying he would veto it once it reaches his desk, though he acknowledged that Brazil’s largely conservative Congress could override his decision.
International reactions have also followed closely. US President Donald Trump, who has previously described the investigation into Bolsonaro as a “witch hunt”, welcomed the passage of the bill. The United States also lifted sanctions imposed on Justice Moraes earlier this year.
Bolsonaro is expected to return to custody following his surgery, as legal and political battles over his future continue to unfold.
Melissa Enoch
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