With 64.83 m², the cell to which the former president () was transferred has a total area almost ten times greater than the minimum provided for in the Penal Execution Law and well above minimum international standards.
for leading a coup plot to remain in power after the 2022 elections, Bolsonaro was imprisoned until Thursday (15) in an individual room at the Regional Superintendence of no.
The minister of the (Supreme Federal Court) ordered his transfer to a General Staff room located in the 19th Military Police Battalion, next to the Papuda Penitentiary Complex, in a location known as Papudinha.
According to the decision, the unit has a total area of 64.83 m², of which 54.76 m² are covered and 10.07 m² are external. The infrastructure has areas such as bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, bedroom, living room and outdoor area.
Accommodation includes a kitchen, which allows for the preparation and storage of food, a bathroom with shower and hot water, a refrigerator, closets, a double bed and a television. The location also includes the installation of gym equipment, such as a treadmill and bicycle.
Brazilian legislation is more economical. It requires that the space contain at least one bedroom, one sanitary appliance and one washbasin. It is also necessary to ensure conditions such as ventilation, exposure to the sun and adequate temperature. The minimum area is 6 m².
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture also speaks of around 6 m² of space, not including toilet facilities, while the International Committee of the Red Cross recommends approximately 5.4 m² for an individual cell.
According to Senappen (National Secretariat for Penal Policies), in the federal system, the average size of individual cells, that is, with only one person deprived of liberty, is approximately this: 6 m².
But, for comparison purposes, a 2024 report from the National Mechanism for the Prevention and Combat of Torture, a body linked to the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship, provided data on visits to the Papuda maximum security block.
In this sector, cells are designed for two people. On the day of the inspection, however, they housed 8 to 10 inmates. There was no natural light and little ventilation. There was only one space on the side for sunbathing, but access had to be granted by police officers.
The teams identified a stuffy environment, with mold on the walls and bedding. The bathroom did not guarantee privacy. In some cells, there was not even the possibility of installing a lamp.
With ample space, the prison unit where former president Bolsonaro is now imprisoned has the capacity for up to four people, but will only be used by the former president, who will be isolated from the other prisoners in the complex.
