The Piauí court has upheld the decision to return 72-year-old journalist José de Arimatéia Azevedo to prison, notwithstanding medical reports that indicate a worsening of his health. Azevedo had been under house arrest since 2022, but his family has contested this ruling by providing previous medical findings and documentation that highlight his health issues and the inadequate conditions of the prison system. Following the court's decision, Azevedo experienced a health crisis and is currently recovering in a private hospital in Teresina.

The judge, Marcus Klinger M. de Vasconcelos, based the decision on a report from the Medical Legal Institute (IML), which categorized Azevedo’s medical condition as chronic but did not deem it critical enough to require specialized treatment or indicate immediate risk of death. This evaluation led the judge to conclude that returning Azevedo to a closed regime would not significantly compromise his health.

Azevedo's family, on the other hand, argues that the prison system lacks adequate facilities to manage his health issues effectively, pleading for reconsideration of the decision. This case raises questions about the health of aging prisoners and the moral implications of imprisoning individuals with severe health concerns, especially when alternatives like house arrest may be more suitable.