Bolsonaro granted permission to leave prison for hernia surgery

SAO PAULO — Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been serving a 27-year prison sentence for an attempted coup since November, was granted permission on Friday to leave prison for a hernia surgery. The date of the surgery has not been announced, and the decision came after federal police doctors confirmed he needs the procedure.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes approved the request after doctors at the federal police hospital said Bolsonaro requires the operation. Doctors say the hernia affects both groins and causes him pain. The ruling allows Bolsonaro to depart the police facility for the procedure, but it does not grant house arrest once he leaves the hospital.

Bolsonaro is being held at the federal police headquarters in Brasilia, where his cell reportedly measures about 12 square meters and includes a bed, a private bathroom, air conditioning, a TV and a desk. He has access to his doctors and lawyers, but other visitors must receive permission from the Supreme Court.

De Moraes, who oversaw Bolsonaro's coup trial and sentenced him to prison, denied the former president's request for house arrest after the hospital stay. The former president and several of his allies were convicted by a panel of Supreme Court justices for attempting to overthrow Brazil’s democracy following his 2022 election defeat. The plot included plans to kill President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and de Moraes, and to encourage an insurrection in early 2023. Bolsonaro was also convicted on charges that include leading an armed criminal organization and attempting the violent abolition of the democratic rule of law. Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing.

The AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean continues to monitor the legal proceedings surrounding Bolsonaro and the broader implications for Brazilian politics.