The former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison after being found guilty of plotting a military coup.
A panel of five Supreme Court justices handed down this sentence just hours after they convicted the former leader, ruling he was guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after losing the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Four of the justices found him guilty while one voted to acquit him. Bolsonaro's lawyers have called the sentence absurdly excessive and indicated they would file the appropriate appeals.
The Supreme Court panel also barred him from running for public office until 2033, and Bolsonaro did not attend this final phase of the trial in person, having previously been under house arrest for being considered a flight risk.
He claimed the legal proceedings were aimed at preventing him from contesting the 2026 presidential elections and described it as a witch hunt. US President Donald Trump, previously a supporter of Bolsonaro, expressed surprise at the verdict, likening it to his own legal troubles.
Brazil’s foreign ministry reacted with a statement emphasizing that threats from US politicians would not undermine Brazilian democracy.
Following the conviction, Bolsonaro, now 70, could spend the remainder of his life in prison. Legal experts suggest any appeal might be difficult, given that the court's decision comes from a solid majority of justices finding him guilty.
Prosecutors have linked Bolsonaro to multiple charges regarding attempts to influence military leaders, undermine the electoral process, and even kill political rivals, although the attempted coup did not secure military support.
As Brazilian society grapples with this verdict, Justice Alexandre de Moraes commented on the severely undermined democracy, implying that the ramifications of Bolsonaro's actions could push Brazil toward authoritarianism.
