BRASILIA — Brazil’s Supreme Court has mandated the relocation of former President Jair Bolsonaro to significantly improved detention quarters within the Papuda Penitentiary Complex, marking a notable shift in his incarceration conditions. Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued the ruling on Thursday, transferring the far-right leader from the federal police headquarters to a spacious 54-square-meter cell featuring a 10-square-meter exterior area.
The new facility, described as apartment-style accommodations, includes a double bed, kitchenette, laundry facilities, living area, and private outdoor space. The enhanced conditions also permit increased family visitation hours and installation of physiotherapy equipment including a treadmill and stationary bicycle. This transition responds to ongoing claims by Bolsonaro’s family regarding alleged inadequate treatment and medical neglect during his imprisonment.
Justice de Moraes explicitly refuted these allegations in his decision, stating: ‘There has been a systematic attempt to delegitimize the regular and lawful execution of the custodial sentence, which has been carried out with full respect for human dignity.’ The justice emphasized that Bolsonaro’s conviction for ‘extremely serious crimes’ distinguished his sentence from ‘a hotel stay or vacation colony’ as allegedly characterized by the former president’s supporters.
Notably, the court denied internet-capable smart television access, citing institutional security concerns and potential risks of improper external communication. Bolsonaro will instead receive medical services from an on-site health post staffed by dedicated medical professionals including physicians, nurses, and mental health specialists.
The former president is serving a 27-year sentence for leading an armed criminal organization and orchestrating attempts to overthrow Brazil’s democratic institutions following his 2022 electoral defeat. Court documents reveal the plot included assassination plans targeting President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and Justice de Moraes himself, alongside incitement of insurrection.
Bolsonaro’s legal team continues pursuing house arrest based on medical grounds, citing multiple hospitalizations since his 2018 campaign stabbing and recent head injury from a fall. The Supreme Court confirmed the transfer had been executed following the ruling.