Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes authorized former President Jair Bolsonaro to temporarily leave the Federal Police Superintendency in Brasilia, where he is serving a 27-year prison sentence, to undergo surgery for a hernia. The decision came after Bolsonaro’s lawyers requested last week that he be allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence under “humanitarian house arrest.” Moraes denied the house arrest request and did not set a date for the surgery, leaving that choice to Bolsonaro’s legal team. In his ruling, the justice noted that Bolsonaro is being held near a private hospital where he already receives emergency care, minimizing risks if urgent transport is needed.

Bolsonaro was convicted in September for plotting a coup following his loss in the 2022 presidential election. Earlier, Moraes approved a medical examination by Federal Police doctors, which took place Wednesday, to determine whether surgery was necessary. On Friday, the Federal Police concluded that Bolsonaro should undergo the hernia operation, stating that while non-surgical treatment is possible, surgery is generally recommended for inguinal hernias.

The former president, who was stabbed in the abdomen during a 2018 campaign rally, has a history of hospitalizations and surgeries linked to the attack. Prior to his recent arrest over flight risk concerns, Bolsonaro had spent over 100 days under house arrest for allegedly attempting to involve the United States in halting a separate case against him.