Freshly Convicted Bolsonaro Lands in the Hospital Again

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, just convicted of plotting a coup, was taken from house arrest to a hospital on Tuesday after a medical "emergency," according to a statement from his eldest son. Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro said his father, who's dealt with recurring intestinal issues since a 2018 stabbing, was suffering "a severe bout of hiccups, vomiting, and low blood pressure," per Al Jazeera. He said police officers guarding the 70-year-old's mansion in Brasilia escorted him to the hospital. Bolsonaro's wife later said he'd undergone tests and received intravenous medication, adding, "Everything will be all right!" The hospitalization came days after Bolsonaro visited a hospital for a court-approved medical procedure to remove skin lesions, CNN reports.

Bolsonaro has been under house arrest since August and, despite a 27-year prison sentence announced last week, could remain there for some time. The court panel has up to 60 days to release its ruling and, following the release, Bolsonaro's legal team will have five days to file motions for clarification, per Al Jazeera. He's also unlikely to serve the full 27 years and three months of his prison sentence. As Reuters notes, "Brazilian convicts often serve just a sixth of their sentence under full custody before entering a day-release program."

Still, Bolsonaro's supporters have backed an amnesty bill in Congress and have also discussed a possible presidential pardon after next year's election. One candidate, Sao Paulo Gov. Tarcisio de Freitas, has said he would pardon Bolsonaro if he wins—though some Supreme Court justices argue that would be unconstitutional. The next president will appoint three new Supreme Court justices to replace those set to retire, meaning an opportunity to revisit Bolsonaro's conviction, per Reuters. A super majority in the Senate could also bring the possibility of impeaching sitting justices. There could also be additional pressure from President Trump, an ally of Bolsonaro, who's already applied 50% sanctions on Brazil and sanctioned the Supreme Court justice overseeing the case.