Brazil's Bolsonaro leaves hospital after surgeries, returns to prison

BRASILIA: Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was discharged from hospital and taken to prison on Thursday after undergoing medical procedures to treat a hernia and hiccups, according to local media reports.

A Reuters witness saw official vehicles leaving the DF Star hospital early in the evening, where the 70-year-old was hospitalized, and heading to the Federal Police Superintendency in Brasilia, where he is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election.

Earlier in the day, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes rejected a request from Bolsonaro's lawyers seeking permission for the former president to serve his sentence under "humanitarian house arrest."

According to the ruling, after receiving the necessary medical clearance, Bolsonaro should "return to serve his prison sentence ... at the Federal Police Superintendency."

The DF Star hospital and the Federal Police declined to comment.

Bolsonaro, who was stabbed in the abdomen during a 2018 campaign event, has a history of hospitalizations and surgeries related to the attack.

The former president was admitted to hospital last week for the surgical procedures, authorized by Moraes following a request from the former president's lawyers.