Prison Surprise: The FormerPresident Bolsonaro Faces Time Behind Bars

He battled the legal system and justice prevailed.

Two months after getting a 27-year sentence for trying to “annihilate” the nation's democracy, ex-president Jair Bolsonaro at last seems headed to prison.

Expected Incarceration

The found-guilty coup-monger – who has been subject to residential detention in his residence while a number of legal procedures and petitions unfold – is broadly anticipated to be imprisoned in the near future, amidst increasing talk that he will be moved to a well-known high-security facility.

Past Statements on Convicts

Over Bolsonaro’s long public life, the conservative ex- soldier exhibited little sympathy for Brazil’s jailed individuals.

“For what reason must we provide these scoundrels a good life?” he once mused. “They ought to simply be screwed, full-fucking-stop. That's my opinion.”

On another occasion, Bolsonaro proclaimed: “If you don’t want to wind up behind bars, you simply need is to avoid sexual assault, kidnap or rob.”

Jail Location Speculation

But the possibility of Bolsonaro himself winding up in the Papuda high-security prison in Brasília has horrified supporters, four of whom this week toured the facility in an apparent bid to prevent the supreme court from banishing him there.

Izalci Lucas, a lawmaker from Bolsonaro’s allied group who was among that group, said he expected the 70-year-old figure to be jailed in the coming fortnight and worried his location could be Papuda.

He asserted Bolsonaro’s severe intestinal problems – the consequence of a almost deadly knife attack during the 2018 presidential campaign – meant it would be hazardous to keep the one-time head of state there. “His health is highly critical. He won’t be able to cope if they take him to Papuda … It could be dreadful,” said the senator, who also voiced anxiety about packed cells and the standard of jail cuisine.

During his tour Papuda, Lucas recalled observing cells accommodating forty prisoners: “It's virtually one square metre per detainee.

“We spoke to the inmates and they protest, unsurprisingly, of the horrible cuisine,” remarked the senator.

Supporters React

Lucas is not the sole person voicing opinions prior to the one-time head of state's predicted detention.

Authoring in a prominent newspaper, another ally, the former communications minister Fábio Wajngarten, lamented the “harsh” end to Bolsonaro’s “spotless” public service and claimed Brazil was about to experience “the biggest political injustice in its history”.

“It is an injustice that gnaws the hearts of many people in Brazil,” he stated.

Divided Public Opinion

That may be correct due to the considerable following Bolsonaro retains on the Brazilian right. But his predicted imprisonment has also gladdened the spirits of many other people who believe he deserves to be imprisoned for conspiring to block the elected leader from assuming office – and additionally conspiring to have him assassinated.

Congressman Otoni, a congressman for the current leader's political party, stated: “No one wishes Bolsonaro to be put in a dark cell. Nobody desires Bolsonaro to be sent in isolation. No one wants Bolsonaro to go hungry or for him to have to sleep on the floor. We desire him to obtain proper handling – but proper handling in prison. He must not continue being his personal jailer for his lifetime.”

The congressman noted how Bolsonaro supporters, who have for a long time praising the harsh handling of convicts, had suddenly realized to their entitlements. “Only now has the far-right – which has consistently claimed that human rights were not for offenders – opted to inspect a jail to find out what situations are really like,” he stated.

“He is a lawbreaker,” Otoni insisted, but that did not mean he merited “degrading, degrading handling”.

Potential Jail Conditions

In spite of rumors that Bolsonaro could be sent to Papuda, which currently contains about 14,000 prisoners, his expected location looks to be a nearby jail for officers and other “unique” prisoners referred to as Papudinha (Minor Papuda).

His potential cell are far more comfortable than those in the larger jail, although still a world away from the comfort Bolsonaro had while occupying the spectacular official residence, about 12 miles away.

As per reports, the cell Bolsonaro could likely reside in in Papudinha measures about 24 square meters – roughly the area of vehicle spaces – and contains a 130 square foot restroom with a shower and a 12 square meter terrace. “He could be allowed to have a TV and even a cooler in his cell as long as they were supplied by his family,” the report indicated.

Political Comments

The lawmaker denounced the speculated proposal to send the ex-president to Papuda as “a form of payback” on the part of the presiding magistrate who led Bolsonaro’s legal case and will decide his future in the {

Michael Lawrence
Michael Lawrence

Lena is a passionate esports journalist and gaming enthusiast, known for her detailed analysis and engaging storytelling.