Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro has been granted permission to serve his 27-year sentence for a coup attempt at home due to failing health. The decision by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes followed Bolsonaro’s hospitalization since March 13 for pneumonia, a condition adding to health issues stemming from a 2018 stabbing.
Bolsonaro, who governed from 2019 to 2022, was recently transferred to a regular hospital room in Brasilia after a period in semi-intensive care and previously in intensive care due to kidney problems. His doctors have not announced a discharge date, but report his condition has improved.
The Attorney General Paulo Gonet recommended house imprisonment with an ankle monitor, a suggestion often followed by Justice de Moraes. Bolsonaro was initially transferred to a larger cell in January after being convicted in November and beginning his sentence. His family has repeatedly requested house arrest.
One of Bolsonaro’s sons, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, is expected to run for president in October, currently polling in a close race with incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.