Bolsonaro Seeks House Arrest for 27-Year Sentence, Lawyers Cite Serious Health Risks

Lawyers for former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro have asked the Supreme Court to allow him to serve a 27-year prison sentence under house arrest, arguing that his health is too fragile for incarceration.

Bolsonaro, 70, was convicted in September of leading a failed attempt to prevent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office after the 2022 election. An appeal of that sentence was rejected last week, moving him closer to imprisonment. His legal team says they will continue to file appeals but submitted a preemptive petition seeking humanitarian house arrest to avoid immediate incarceration.

In their petition, Bolsonaro's lawyers warned that sending him to a standard prison facility "will have serious consequences and represents a risk to his life," describing his condition as "deeply debilitated." They note that since being placed under house arrest in August he has been hospitalized three times — twice for diagnostic tests and once for a medical emergency.

The filing lists a number of chronic conditions and ongoing treatments: pulmonary infections, esophagitis and gastritis, and a history of skin cancer. While Bolsonaro's doctor said in September that recent skin lesions had been removed and required no immediate follow-up, the legal team emphasized continuing complications from the 2018 stabbing he suffered while campaigning. That wound has required multiple surgeries over the years, most recently to release intestinal adhesions and reconstruct the abdominal wall.

The petition also describes persistent, "uncontrollable hiccups" that reportedly require daily medication and have produced episodes of breathlessness and fainting. Lawyers say Bolsonaro needs continuous nighttime respiratory support via a CPAP machine for severe sleep apnea, and they argue that these medical needs are "absolutely incompatible with a common prison environment."

The filing cites precedent: in May, former president Fernando Collor de Mello was permitted to serve nearly nine years of a corruption sentence at home on health grounds. Bolsonaro's lawyers use that decision to bolster their humanitarian appeal.

Conviction and broader allegations

Bolsonaro was convicted and sentenced in September after a court found he led a criminal organization that conspired to preserve his hold on power. Prosecutors alleged the plot included plans to target President Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over Bolsonaro's trial.

Recently, three senior military officers and a police officer received prison terms of up to 24 years for their roles in the alleged assassination plot, underscoring the severity of the charges connected to the case.

Political reactions and international attention

The prospect of incarceration has prompted alarm among Bolsonaro's allies. After visiting him, far-right congressman Nikolas Ferreira said Bolsonaro is "mentally strong" but "physically weak," warning that the uncertainty about whether he will be jailed is unfair and could have dire consequences.

The conviction has also drawn international attention. Former U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the trial as a "witch hunt." Reports of diplomatic tensions and measures affecting trade and officials were later followed by announcements of adjustments to trade restrictions on some Brazilian exports.

As legal and diplomatic developments continue, Bolsonaro's petition asks the court to take his medical needs into account and grant humanitarian house arrest while appeals proceed.

Key quote from the petition: "Placing Mr. Bolsonaro in a common prison environment, given his current and ongoing medical needs, will have serious consequences and represents a risk to his life."