Brazils Supreme Court Rejects Jair Bolsonaros Request for House Arrest

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s Defence Team Seeks House Arrest Denial Rejected Again by Supreme Court

The Brazilian Federal Supreme Court has denied a request from Bolsonaro’s defence team to move him from prison to house arrest, according to a decision made by Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The former president, 70, had been in and out of hospital over the past week for treatment related to a hernia and hiccups.

Bolsonaro is currently being held at the federal police headquarters in Brasilia after being sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting to overturn his 2022 electoral defeat. The court’s decision stated that Bolsonaro already has access to round-the-clock medical care in police custody, and questioned whether his health merited “humanitarian” accommodations.

In a statement, Justice de Moraes argued that there had been no worsening of Bolsonaro’s health condition, but rather an improvement in the discomfort he was experiencing after undergoing elective surgeries. This is not the first time the court has rejected a similar petition from Bolsonaro, who has reportedly suffered from lingering conditions related to an abdominal stabbing he survived on the campaign trail in 2018.

Bolsonaro was taken into custody in November after damaging an ankle monitor that allowed him to remain at home while pursuing appeals. His defence team had filed requests for house arrest, citing life-threatening conditions behind bars. The court has previously denied these requests.

In December, Bolsonaro’s request to leave prison and undergo surgery for a hernia was approved by the Supreme Court. He received treatment at Brasilia’s DF Star hospital and has since pursued other procedures to address his persistent hiccups.

Source: Al Jazeera