RIO DE JANEIRO — A Brazilian judge has ruled that the man charged with nearly killing far-right President Jair Bolsonaro during a campaign event last year should not be punished because he is mentally ill.
Adelio Bispo de Oliveira was charged with stabbing the candidate in September at a rally in Juiz de Fora, a city 115 miles (186 kilometers) north of Rio de Janeiro.
Federal judge Bruno Savino ruled Monday that de Oliveira cannot be jailed and should be put in a mental facility.
Bolsonaro has spent months accusing de Oliveira of being part of a plot to stop him from winning the presidency.
De Oliveira belonged to a leftist party years ago and has said his attack was motivated by hatred for Bolsonaro.