Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a long prison term, has been discharged from hospital and is now under house arrest for a limited time for due to ill health.

The 71-year-old is serving a prison sentence of more than 27 years for an attempted coup and was most recently detained at the Papuda prison complex in the Brazilian capital, Brasília.

He will remain under house arrest at his home in Brasília for an initial period of 90 days, according to reports Friday from several Brazilian media outlets.

The presiding judge at the Supreme Court, Alexandre de Moraes, had approved the easing of detention conditions on health grounds. The decision followed a request from the defence, which was also supported by the Attorney General’s Office.

Several previous requests of this nature had been rejected, so the decision is seen as a turning point in the case.

Bolsonaro had been receiving treatment since mid-March for a form of pneumonia, and was at times in intensive care.

Despite the transfer to house arrest, he remains subject to strict conditions. He must wear an electronic tag and is not permitted to use any means of communication such as smartphones or computers. Public statements on social media are also prohibited.

At the end of the 90 days, a medical examination will determine whether the ex-president must return to the regular prison system or whether his house arrest will be extended.

Bolsonaro has had health problems for years, some of which are linked to a knife attack on him during the 2018 election campaign.