Brazil's top court denies Bolsonaro's request to go to hospital after fall

By Ricardo Brito

Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Tuesday denied a request by former President Jair Bolsonaro to immediately leave prison for tests in a hospital in Brasilia after falling and hitting his head, the court decision showed.

The 70-year-old right-wing leader fell while sleeping and hit his head on a piece of furniture, his wife Michelle Bolsonaro wrote on Instagram earlier in the day.

Brazil's federal police said in a statement that Bolsonaro received initial medical treatment on Tuesday morning, adding that a federal police doctor "found minor injuries" and saw no need for hospitalization.

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"Any referral to a hospital depends on authorization from the Supreme Court," it added.

Citing the police report, Moraes said in his decision that there is no need for Bolsonaro to be immediately taken to hospital.

Moraes said that the defense has the right to request exams for Bolsonaro, but that lawyers must schedule them in advance and provide information justifying the procedures.

The Supreme Court Justice also asked Bolsonaro's legal defense to specify which exams the ex-president wants to take so the court can verify if the prison system can conduct them.

Bolsonaro underwent a series of medical procedures in December to treat a hernia and hiccups.

He was discharged from hospital on January 1 and taken back to the Federal Police Superintendency in Brasilia, where he is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election.

The former president was stabbed in the abdomen during a 2018 campaign event and has a history of hospitalizations and surgeries related to the attack.