🔗 Share this article Jailhouse Shock: Brazil's Ex-President Bolsonaro Faces Time Behind Bars He fought the legal system and the legal system prevailed. A couple of months after receiving a 27-year sentence for attempting to “annihilate” Brazil’s democratic institutions, former president Jair Bolsonaro now looks jail-bound. Anticipated Imprisonment The convicted instigator – who has been subject to residential detention in his residence while a series of legal procedures and petitions play out – is broadly anticipated to be imprisoned in the near future, amidst growing rumors that he will be moved to a well-known top-security facility. Historical Comments on Convicts Over Bolsonaro’s 40-year public life, the right-wing ex- paratrooper displayed minimal compassion for Brazil’s prison population. “What’s the need to provide these dirtbags a easy time?” he previously wondered. “They ought to simply be fucked, period. That’s what I reckon.” In another instance, Bolsonaro stated: “Unless you desire to finish in prison, the only thing required is not sexual assault, abduction or theft.” Jail Destination Debate However the idea of Bolsonaro himself ending up in the Papuda high-security prison in Brasília has shocked supporters, four of whom this week visited the complex in an apparent bid to discourage the supreme court from transferring him there. Izalci Lucas, a politician from Bolsonaro’s Liberal party who was one of the visitors, said he anticipated the 70-year-old leader to be incarcerated in the next 10 days and worried his location could be Papuda. Lucas claimed Bolsonaro’s severe intestinal problems – the consequence of a near-fatal stabbing during the 2018 presidential election race – meant it would be hazardous to keep the ex-leader there. “His [health] situation is highly critical. He won’t be able to handle it if they take him to Papuda … It will be awful,” said the senator, who also worried about overcrowded cells and the quality of jail cuisine. During his tour Papuda, Lucas noted observing cells accommodating 40 prisoners: “It's virtually one meter squared per detainee. “We talked to the prisoners and they protest, unsurprisingly, of the awful cuisine,” added the senator. Supporters Speak Out He is not the only voice speaking out prior to the ex-leader's expected incarceration. Writing in a major newspaper, another ally, the ex- cabinet member Fábio Wajngarten, bemoaned the “severe” end to Bolsonaro’s “flawless” public service and claimed Brazil was about to witness “the largest unfairness in its record”. “This is an wrong that gnaws the hearts of countless people in Brazil,” the former minister said. Varied General Opinion That may be true due to the considerable backing Bolsonaro retains on the conservative side. However his anticipated incarceration has also gladdened the hearts of many individuals who think he deserves to be imprisoned for planning to stop the elected leader from becoming president – and additionally conspiring to have him assassinated. The lawmaker, a congressman for the sitting president's political party, commented: “Not a soul wishes Bolsonaro to be put in a dungeon. No one wishes Bolsonaro to be sent in solitary confinement. Nobody wishes Bolsonaro to lack food or for him to have to lie on concrete. We desire him to get proper handling – but dignified care behind bars. He must not persist being his own prison warden for his entire life.” He observed how Bolsonaro allies, who have spent years praising the harsh conditions of convicts, had unexpectedly realized to their rights. “Recently has the conservative fringe – which has consistently argued that basic rights are not for offenders – decided to visit a penitentiary to find out what conditions are really like,” he stated. “The former president is a criminal,” he affirmed, but that did not mean he earned “shameful, demeaning conduct”. Possible Jail Conditions Regardless of rumors that Bolsonaro could be transferred to Papuda, which now contains about thousands of prisoners, his more likely destination seems to be a close prison for police officers and other “unique” inmates known as Papudinha (Small Papuda). Its cells are much more adequate than those in the primary facility, although nevertheless a distant from the opulence Bolsonaro experienced while living in the impressive presidential palace, around 12 miles away. As per sources, the accommodation Bolsonaro could expect to reside in in Papudinha measures about 24 square meters – roughly the dimensions of vehicle spaces – and includes a 12 sq metre restroom with a shower and a 12 sq metre balcony. “Bolsonaro would be authorized to have a television and even a minibar in his room as long as they were provided by his loved ones,” information suggested. Partisan Responses He condemned the speculated plan to send the ex-president to Papuda as “a type of retaliation” on the part of the presiding magistrate who led Bolsonaro’s proceedings and will rule on his fate in the {