Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was discharged from hospital on Thursday (January 1) after undergoing medical procedures to treat a hernia and hiccups, according to a Reuters witness and local media reports.

The 70-year-old right-wing leader is being taken back to the Federal Police Superintendency in Brasilia, where he is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election.

Earlier in the day, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes rejected a request from Bolsonaro's lawyers seeking permission for the former president to serve his sentence under "humanitarian house arrest."

Bolsonaro was admitted to hospital last week for the surgical procedures, authorised by Moraes following a request from the former president's lawyers.

-Mateus Bononi, Jonathan Neves, Janaina Quinet and Liamar Ramos