Brazil’s Ex-President Bolsonaro Moved to Larger Prison Cell After Family Complaints

Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered the transfer of former President Jair Bolsonaro from federal police headquarters in Brasília to a larger, more comfortable cell in a prison complex, following repeated complaints from his family about detention conditions.

Bolsonaro, aged 70, is serving a 27-year sentence for orchestrating a failed coup after his 2022 election defeat to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Under the new arrangement, he will occupy a 54-square-meter (581 sq ft) room featuring a separate bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living area, and a 10-square-meter outdoor space accessible at will. The cell will also be equipped with physiotherapy gear, including a treadmill and exercise bicycle, and family visits will be expanded.

Bolsonaro’s family had criticized his detention conditions, citing inadequate medical care. He has been hospitalized several times since sentencing, including after a fall in prison that resulted in no serious injury.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes rejected claims of mistreatment, stressing that Bolsonaro was convicted of “extremely serious crimes” and reminding the public that prison is not a “hotel stay or vacation colony.”

Bolsonaro’s lawyers have sought house arrest on medical grounds. In late 2025, Congress passed a bill reducing his sentence to two years, but President Lula vetoed it on January 8, 2026. Lawmakers still have the option to override the veto.

Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing and has positioned his eldest son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, as his political heir and likely candidate in the October 2026 presidential election. Lula, meanwhile, is seeking a fourth term, with the case underscoring Brazil’s deep political polarization.