Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for orchestrating a failed coup attempt, could return to his cell as early as January 1 following recovery from groin hernia surgery. Surgeons at the private DF Star clinic in Brasilia indicated that, absent complications, the 70-year-old far-right leader is expected to be discharged on New Year's Day after the procedure performed on Christmas Day.

Bolsonaro underwent the inguinal hernia repair, described as complex yet successful, while temporarily released from custody. Two days later, he received an additional minimally invasive treatment to address persistent hiccups by blocking the phrenic nerve. These interventions stem from ongoing health complications linked to a 2018 stabbing attack during his presidential campaign, which has necessitated multiple abdominal surgeries over the years.

In September 2025, Brazil's Supreme Court convicted Bolsonaro of conspiring to overturn his 2022 election defeat to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, imposing a 27-year-and-three-month sentence. He began serving the term in November after exhausting appeals and a brief house arrest period disrupted by an incident involving his ankle monitor, interpreted by the court as an escape attempt.

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Justice Alexandre de Moraes authorized the temporary hospital transfer for medical treatment but rejected requests for post-surgery house arrest, ensuring Bolsonaro's return to the federal police facility in Brasilia upon medical clearance. The former leader, who held office from 2019 to 2022, maintains that his legal troubles constitute political persecution.

Bolsonaro's case has deepened political divisions in Brazil, with supporters viewing the conviction as unjust and opponents seeing it as essential accountability for threats to democracy. As recovery progresses under strict supervision, his immediate return to imprisonment underscores the finality of the judicial outcome.

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