Brasília – Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been moved to a high-security prison, marking an unprecedented moment in the nation’s history as the first former president incarcerated in the modern era. The transfer follows a September conviction for attempting to subvert the country’s democratic process after his 2022 election loss to Luiz Inácio lula da Silva [[1]].Despite repeated appeals from his legal team citing health concerns – including recent hospitalization for a hernia and ongoing issues from a 2018 stabbing [[2]] – Bolsonaro will serve his sentence at papuda prison,though with accommodations for medical treatment and increased visitation [[3]].
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been transferred to a high-security prison complex in Brasília, officials confirmed. The move comes after a landmark ruling found the 70-year-old former leader guilty of conspiring to undermine the country’s democratic institutions following his 2022 election defeat.
Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019 to 2022, is now being held in a cell typically occupied by four inmates at Papuda prison, also known as “Papudinha,” a military building within the larger complex, according to the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court.
The transfer was ordered by Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the Supreme Federal Court and carried out “immediately,” the court stated. The development marks a significant moment in Brazilian politics, as it is the first time a former president has been incarcerated in the country’s modern history.
Bolsonaro was convicted in September of attempting to remain in power “authoritatively” after losing to his leftist rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who returned to office in 2023.
Despite his imprisonment, Justice Moraes indicated that Bolsonaro will be allowed increased visitation rights, access to sunlight and exercise, and physiotherapy treatment as prescribed by his doctors.
The former president’s family, lawyers, and allies have been campaigning for him to serve his sentence at his residence in Brasília, citing his health concerns. They recently submitted another request this week, but Justice Moraes has repeatedly rejected similar appeals.
The group has argued that Bolsonaro’s health warrants house arrest, pointing to lingering complications from a 2018 stabbing attack that required multiple surgeries. He was also hospitalized between Christmas and New Year’s Day for hernia surgery and has been treated for severe and recurrent hiccups.
Bolsonaro had been detained at Federal Police headquarters in Brasília since late November.
