Brazil’s Bolsonaro discharged from hospital after surgery, returns to prison

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was discharged from a hospital Thursday following hernia surgery and has returned to the Federal Police Superintendency in Brasília, where he is serving a more than 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election.

Bolsonaro was transported in a Federal Police vehicle from the hospital to their regional headquarters in the capital Brasilia, located 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) away, the Brazilian news outlet G1 reported.

The trip took six minutes, and the convoy entered through a side gate.

His return to prison came after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes denied a request by the former president's lawyers seeking permission for Bolsonaro to serve his sentence under house arrest.

Bolsonaro was admitted to the hospital on Dec. 24 for surgery to treat a bilateral inguinal hernia, which was carried out the following day without complications.