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 the sentence just hours after they had convicted the former leader.
They ruled he was guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he lost 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 said that they would file the appropriate appeals.
The Supreme Court panel also barred him from running for public office until 2060—eight years after the end of his sentence. Bolsonaro, who was put under house arrest after being deemed a flight risk, did not attend this final phase of the trial in person. However, he has in the past said it was designed to prevent him from running in the 2026 presidential election, despite already being barred from public office on separate charges. He has termed the ruling a 'witch hunt', a sentiment echoed by former US President Donald Trump, who compared it to his own legal battles.
Reacting to the decision, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Brazil's Supreme Court had unjustly ruled to imprison former President Jair Bolsonaro. In response, Brazil's foreign ministry asserted that threats made by US officials would not intimidate the Brazilian democratic process.
Bolsonaro, now aged 70, could potentially spend the rest of his life in prison. His legal team has argued for him to remain under house arrest rather than being transferred to a prison, while also seeking a reduced sentence. The court's verdict found him guilty on five charges related to his attempts to retain power following the elections, implicating several co-conspirators, including senior military officers.
Despite the coup plot failing to gain military support, it culminated in the storming of government buildings by Bolsonaro's supporters in January 2023, an event that raised concerns over the stability of Brazil's democracy. Justice Alexandre de Moraes referred to the ruling as a crucial moment to reaffirm Brazil's democratic order, while his colleague, Justice Cármen Lúcia, highlighted the dangers of authoritarianism in her ruling against Bolsonaro.}
They ruled he was guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he lost 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 said that they would file the appropriate appeals.
The Supreme Court panel also barred him from running for public office until 2060—eight years after the end of his sentence. Bolsonaro, who was put under house arrest after being deemed a flight risk, did not attend this final phase of the trial in person. However, he has in the past said it was designed to prevent him from running in the 2026 presidential election, despite already being barred from public office on separate charges. He has termed the ruling a 'witch hunt', a sentiment echoed by former US President Donald Trump, who compared it to his own legal battles.
Reacting to the decision, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Brazil's Supreme Court had unjustly ruled to imprison former President Jair Bolsonaro. In response, Brazil's foreign ministry asserted that threats made by US officials would not intimidate the Brazilian democratic process.
Bolsonaro, now aged 70, could potentially spend the rest of his life in prison. His legal team has argued for him to remain under house arrest rather than being transferred to a prison, while also seeking a reduced sentence. The court's verdict found him guilty on five charges related to his attempts to retain power following the elections, implicating several co-conspirators, including senior military officers.
Despite the coup plot failing to gain military support, it culminated in the storming of government buildings by Bolsonaro's supporters in January 2023, an event that raised concerns over the stability of Brazil's democracy. Justice Alexandre de Moraes referred to the ruling as a crucial moment to reaffirm Brazil's democratic order, while his colleague, Justice Cármen Lúcia, highlighted the dangers of authoritarianism in her ruling against Bolsonaro.}
