FILE - Former President Jair Bolsonaro talks with reporters after arriving at the airport in Brasilia, Brazil, June 30, 2023, days after he was barred from running for office again until 2030 after a panel of judges concluded that he abused his power and cast unfounded doubts on the country’s electronic voting system. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File)
Brazil ex-President Jair Bolsonaro briefly leaves house arrest for hospital visit
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) 鈥 Brazilian former President Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday briefly left his home in Brasilia where he is under house arrest to undergo a medical procedure at a nearby hospital, his first public appearance since he was handed a 27-year-long prison sentence.
FILE - Former President Jair Bolsonaro talks with reporters after arriving at the airport in Brasilia, Brazil, June 30, 2023, days after he was barred from running for office again until 2030 after a panel of judges concluded that he abused his power and cast unfounded doubts on the country’s electronic voting system. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File)
By El茅onore Hughes And Eduardo Fran莽ois The Associated Press
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) 鈥 Brazilian former President Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday briefly left his home in Brasilia where he is under house arrest to undergo a medical procedure at a nearby hospital, his first public appearance since he was handed a 27-year-long prison sentence.
On Thursday, a panel of Supreme Court justices ruled that Bolsonaro had attempted a coup and tried to illegally hang onto power despite his 2022 electoral defeat to current President .
Escorted by police, Bolsonaro went to the DF Star hospital in Brazil’s capital in the morning for procedures related to skin lesions 鈥 a temporary release granted by on Sept. 8.
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He was later discharged, doctors from the hospital said in a statement. Medical staff removed eight skin lesions that will be sent for analysis to establish a definitive diagnosis and assess the need for further treatment.
The 70-year-old far-right politician was placed in early August, after de Moraes said that Bolsonaro had violated precautionary measures imposed on him in the context of the coup trial. He had already been wearing .
In late August, de Moraes increased security measures further and ordered that police conduct inspections of all vehicles leaving Bolsonaro鈥檚 residence and monitor the exterior of the house.
After the medical visit, Bolsonaro must file a certificate of attendance, indicating the date and times of the appointments, to the Supreme Court.
Bolsonaro鈥檚 son Carlos took to social media to complain about what he deemed to be excessive policing around his father鈥檚 trip to the hospital.
鈥淚鈥檓 with my father and witnessing the continuation of the biggest circus in Brazilian history,鈥 he wrote on X. 鈥淎 convoy with more than 20 men ostensibly armed with rifles (鈥) just to promote the humiliation of an honest man.鈥
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Die-hard supporters of Bolsonaro awaited the ex-president when he arrived at the hospital on Sunday and greeted him with shouts of 鈥淎mnesty now!鈥 The chant is in reference to the push of Bolsonaro鈥檚 allies in Congress to grant the former president some kind of amnesty.
鈥淲e鈥檙e here to provide spiritual and psychological support,鈥 said Deus茅lis Filho, 46, the president of a group of Bolsonaro supporters called Influencers of Brazil.
Thursday’s sentence doesn鈥檛 mean that Bolsonaro will immediately go to prison. The court panel has now up to 60 days to publish the ruling. Once it does, Bolsonaro鈥檚 lawyers have five days to file motions for clarification.
His lawyers have said that they will try to appeal both the conviction and sentence before the full Supreme Court of 11 justices, although some experts think it鈥檚 unlikely to be accepted.
International interest in Bolsonaro鈥檚 trial increased after U.S. President Donald Trump on Brazil, citing what he called a 鈥渨itch hunt鈥 against Bolsonaro.
After Thursday鈥檚 ruling, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X that Trump鈥檚 government 鈥渨ill respond accordingly.鈥
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Brazil鈥檚 Foreign Ministry called Rubio鈥檚 comments that wouldn’t intimidate the government, adding that the country鈥檚 judiciary is independent and that Bolsonaro was granted due process.
