Brazilian Supreme Court says Bolsonaro can leave prison to undergo surgery

Justice Alexandre de Moraes has approved a request for the ex-president to leave prison for hernia treatment.Published On 23 Dec 2025The Brazilian Supreme Court has approved a request from former President Jair Bolsonaro to temporarily leave prison for a medical procedure later this week.Justice Alexandre de Moraes said on Tuesday that Bolsonaro, serving a 27-year prison sentence for participation in a coup plot, can undergo hernia surgery on Thursday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Flavio Bolsonaro retracts suggestion of a ‘price’ to end 2026 election bidlist 2 of 3Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies passes bill to lower Bolsonaro’s sentencelist 3 of 3Flavio Bolsonaro enters Brazil’s 2026 presidential race with father’s nodend of listBolsonaro’s lawyers had requested that he be transferred to Hospital DF Star in the capital, Brasilia, for medical tests on Wednesday and surgery the next day. Doctors said a hernia was causing him pain in both sides of his groin.The ex-president has undergone a series of hospitalisations and medical procedures since being stabbed in the abdomen during a campaign event in 2018. His hospital visit will be the first time he has departed from federal custody since beginning his sentence towards the end of November.The court ordered the police to continue monitoring Bolsonaro “24 hours a day”.The far-right leader was scheduled to speak to the news outlet Metropoles on Tuesday, but cancelled the interview due to health reasons.Since Bolsonaro’s imprisonment, there has been speculation that his eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, could succeed him as the leader of the country’s political right. Some had expected Bolsonaro to throw his support behind his son’s 2026 presidential bid during the Tuesday interview.In a social media post, Flavio said his father would have liked to conduct the interview but had to put “health first”.“He is about to be hospitalised for surgery,” said Flavio. “Some days he wakes up feeling well, other days worse. Today may have been a day when he woke up feeling more unwell.”