Former President Jair Bolsonaro was discharged from DF Star Hospital in Brasília at around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday (January 1, 2026) after four procedures—including three surgeries—since his December 24 admission for a bilateral inguinal hernia and persistent hiccups. He returned directly to the Federal Police Superintendence prison to serve his 27-year, 3-month sentence for attempted coup d'état, after Justice Alexandre de Moraes rejected humanitarian house arrest.
Accompanied by former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro—who left shortly ahead in a private car—Bolsonaro underwent: surgery for bilateral inguinal hernia on December 25; right phrenic nerve blockage on December 27; and another blockage with reinforcement on December 29 to address hiccups. He also received treatment for blood pressure fluctuations and newly diagnosed sleep apnea.
This follows his imprisonment since November 22, 2025, after breaching house arrest conditions via electronic anklet violation. His defense sought house arrest on December 31, citing health risks, but Moraes denied it, stating no legal basis or flight risk mitigation, and noting clinical improvement post-surgeries. Moraes emphasized: "differently from what the defense alleged, there was no worsening... but rather a clinical improvement... after the elective surgeries." Treatments like reflux management, CPAP for apnea, physiotherapy, and medications are available at the PF facility, which features a private 12 m² cell with amenities.
The episode underscores ongoing health challenges for Bolsonaro in detention, with no changes to his conditions.
