Bolsonaro begins serving 27-year prison sentence in federal police facility in Brazil
Bolsonaro, age 70, had already been already under house arrest since August, monitored with an electronic anklet.
(File) Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro in a photo.
The Supreme Court of Brazil ordered on Tuesday that former president Jair Bolsonaro begin serving his 27-year prison sentence for leading an alleged plot behind the 2022 election he ran in against leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The ruling came after the court rejected the last appeals filed by his defense, declaring the sentence as "firm".
Bolsonaro, age 70, had already been under house arrest since August, monitored with an electronic anklet. However, he was transferred Saturday to a federal police facility in Brasília after authorities detected that he had damaged the device with a soldering iron, raising suspicions of an escape attempt. The former president claimed that he acted under a "state of mental confusion" caused by medication, an explanation rejected by the Supreme Court.
The former president will serve his sentence in a special detention unit within police facilities, in a small room equipped with air conditioning, television and minibar.
Politically disqualified until 2030
The former president had already been convicted in September along with seven other allies for this alleged conspiracy. His legal situation worsened after the court was led by pro-government judge Alexandre de Moraes, rapporteur of the case.
Bolsonaro, moreover, remains politically disqualified until 2030, following a ruling by the Superior Electoral Court that held him responsible for "unfounded attacks" on the voting system.
Defense insists on house arrest for health reasons
Despite this, the Supreme Court has so far rejected any change in the conditions of detention, especially after the manipulation of the electronic monitor.
Meanwhile, Bolsonaro faces an uncertain future. Although analysts agree that he could remain in jail for only a limited time before receiving benefits or a less strict regime, it is unclear how long his stay in prison will last.
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