Brazilian court convicts former leader Bolsonaro, who is then hospitalized due to ill health while under house arrest, as per his son.
Bolsonaro, a 70-year-old retired army captain, has a history of intestinal ailments, which date back to a stabbing incident during his 2018 campaign. He served as Brazil’s president from 2019 to 2023.
According to Flavio, one of Bolsonaro’s sons, the former president “felt unwell with severe hiccups, vomiting, and low blood pressure,” prompting an emergency medical visit to a hospital in Brasília, accompanied by his security detail.
Bolsonaro’s health scare comes shortly after a visit to the same hospital on Sunday, where he had eight skin lesions removed for biopsy.
A panel of Brazil’s Supreme Court justices concluded on Thursday that Bolsonaro was guilty of coup plotting and sentenced him to 27 years and three months in prison following his electoral loss to President Luz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022.
However, Bolsonaro will not be immediately incarcerated. He has the right to file motions for clarification within five days after the court’s ruling is officially published. He denies any wrongdoing, asserting that he is the victim of political persecution. The US government, under President Donald Trump, has also denounced the trial, referring to it as a “witch-hunt,” and imposed tariffs in retaliation.
Bolsonaro’s house arrest in August stemmed from allegations of soliciting pressure on the judiciary from Trump. Additionally, a court has ordered Bolsonaro to pay damages for making racially insensitive remarks.
Public views in Brazil are divided over Bolsonaro’s sentence, and his political allies are actively trying to either repeal or reduce his jail term.
Incumbents in Congress support an amnesty for Bolsonaro and his supporters, who took part in an insurrection earlier this year. Governor Tarcisio de Freitas has promised to consider a presidential pardon if he wins office in the next election. However, due to a court ruling, Bolsonaro is restricted from running for president until 2030.
Lula, the current president, has defended the verdict against Bolsonaro, calling it a “historic decision” that underscores Brazil’s democratic institutions and adherence to the rule of law.
