Former far-right Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro left hospital on Friday after a two-week stay and was transferred to house arrest at his home in Brasilia, his doctor said.

Bolsonaro "has just been discharged," his physician, Brasil Caiado, told reporters outside the private DF Star hospital.

Bolsonaro fell ill in prison, where he is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup after his 2022 election loss to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The 71-year-old spent more than a week in the ICU before being moved to a regular in-patient room on Monday.

"Generally speaking, his health condition is more or less stable," said Caiado.

Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes on Tuesday granted a request by Bolsonaro's lawyers to allow him to temporarily serve his sentence at home for a period of 90 days once he is discharged.

After this period the court will re-evaluate whether to extend the house arrest or if the former far-right leader should go back to jail.

Moraes had denied several previous requests for Bolsonaro to move to house arrest on humanitarian grounds.

Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019-2022, had been under house arrest before the official start of his sentence but was moved to prison after he took a soldering iron to his ankle monitoring bracelet in what the court saw as an escape attempt.

In his ruling, Moraes said Bolsonaro would be required to wear an electronic monitor and would not be allowed to use a phone or social media to communicate.

He can receive visits from his family, lawyers and doctors.

The clinic said Bolsonaro's lung infection was the latest illness linked to his 2018 stabbing in the abdomen while campaigning to become president.

The attack has led to numerous operations and other health problems, including persistent hiccups and vomiting.

The doctor said earlier this week that recovery from bronchopneumonia, which includes the risk of scar tissue forming in the lungs during healing, could take between six weeks and six months.

Bolsonaro chose his eldest son Flavio, a 44-year-old senator, as flag-bearer for his powerful conservative base in presidential elections in October.

Some opinion polls show a dead heat in a potential run-off election between Flavio Bolsonaro and Lula, 80, who is seeking a fourth term. (AFP)



Edited by Robert Kemp