Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes forces entry into the ICU to notify Bolsonaro of fraud, amid his abdominal surgery.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was served a legal notice by a court officer on April 23, 2025, in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of DF Star Hospital in Brasília.
The order was issued by Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who also presides over the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) and is a central figure in Brazil’s judicial system.
Bolsonaro had been hospitalized since April 13 following abdominal surgery, required due to health complications stemming from a 2018 assassination attempt.
The attack took place on September 6, 2018, in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, when Bolsonaro, then a presidential candidate, was stabbed in the abdomen during a campaign event.
The stabbing damaged his liver, lung, and intestine, leading to emergency hospitalization at Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo. Although he recovered, the aftermath has required multiple surgeries over the years, including the recent procedure in April 2025.
– The abdominal drains were removed, and the surgical incision dressing was changed, showing significant improvement. I remain on exclusive parenteral nutrition, with no oral intake. Motor physiotherapy and other rehabilitation measures are being intensified.
-I have no estimated discharge date from the ICU and, on medical advice, am not yet authorized to receive visitors. I appreciate everyone’s affection and understanding at this time.
-One day at a time!
Brasília, April 21, 2025. Jair Messias Bolsonaro
The ICU summons is tied to a criminal case in the STF, where Bolsonaro is accused by the Attorney General’s Office of attempting a coup after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
According to the STF, the notification had been delayed due to the former president’s health condition, but Bolsonaro denounced the court officer for forcing entry into the ICU, sparking controversy. Allies of the former president argued that this action violates Article 244 of Brazil’s Code of Civil Procedure, which prohibits serving notices to individuals in serious health conditions, except to prevent the loss of a right.
Additionally, those close to Bolsonaro expressed concern over the risk of the court officer transmitting infections to the former president, given his vulnerable state in the ICU. The incident triggered a wave of criticism and defense on social media, with some users noting that Bolsonaro had given interviews and held live broadcasts from the hospital but resisted receiving the legal notice.
Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees 22,000 employees at the TSE and supervises Brazilian elections, has been a consistent critic of Bolsonaro, particularly since the events following the 2022 elections.
A 2023 Le Monde article described him as the most powerful man in Brazil due to his influence in the STF and TSE, though detractors have accused him of acting authoritatively.
The relationship between Bolsonaro and Moraes has been a clear example of politically motivated judicial persecution.
Following the events of January 8, 2023, when a group of citizens expressed discontent in Brasília, Moraes, with an unrelenting stance, led a judicial crackdown that culminated in Bolsonaro’s political disqualification until 2030, under charges of “abuse of power and disinformation” during the 2022 elections, which many consider fabricated.
This clash has polarized Brazil, with Bolsonaro’s supporters denouncing Moraes as a judicial tyrant who abuses his position to silence the opposition, while a minority defends him as a supposed “guardian of democracy.”
The ICU summons incident only confirmed Moraes’ vengeful stance against Bolsonaro.
This is an inhumane act—Moraes ordered a court officer to barge into the ICU at DF Star Hospital, where Bolsonaro was recovering from delicate abdominal surgery, ignoring his vulnerable state and exposing him to infection risks.
This gesture, far from being an act of justice, appears as a blatant attempt to humiliate the former president and break his spirit at a moment of fragility, highlighting how the judiciary, under Moraes’ leadership, prioritizes political persecution over respect for the most basic human rights.
This incident forces us to question the direction of Brazilian democracy and the role of a judicial system that, in the hands of figures like Moraes, seems more like an instrument of repression than of justice.
The action against Bolsonaro not only undermines his dignity as a recovering patient but sends an alarming message about the use of power to crush those who challenge the status quo.
Brazil deserves a judicial system that acts with impartiality and humanity, not one that targets a man who, despite adversities, remains a symbol of resistance for millions.
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