Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered that right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro begin serving his prison sentence of 27 years and three months for plotting a coup after he lost the last election.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled that the case had reached its final judgement, with no further appeals possible.
Bolsonaro, 70, was found guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after his defeat in the 2022 election against leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
He will start serving his sentence in a federal police jail cell in Brasília, where he is currently detained after being deemed a flight risk and removed from home detention.
During a recent hearing, Bolsonaro admitted to attempting to damage his ankle monitor using a soldering iron until he “came to his senses.” He claimed he had no intention of fleeing, attributing the act to medicine-induced paranoia.
Justice Moraes mandated that Bolsonaro receive full-time medical care, as he is reportedly suffering from declining health.
The justices, when found guilty, stated that Bolsonaro was aware of plans to assassinate Lula and his Vice President candidate, as well as to arrest Justice Moraes.
The coup attempt lacked support from the military, and Lula took office without incident on January 1, 2023. However, a week later, Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasília, leading to the arrest of approximately 1,500 individuals.
The Supreme Court ruled that the rioters were incited by Bolsonaro's failed coup plan. He has also been barred from holding public office until 2060, eight years after the end of his sentence, as he claimed the trial was a politically motivated endeavor to prevent his candidacy for the 2026 presidential election.
