Brazilian Ex-President Jair Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Coup Plot
A panel of five Supreme Court justices in Brazil has sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison after finding him guilty of orchestrating a military coup. The court ruled that Bolsonaro led a conspiracy intended to sustain his power after losing the 2022 election to left-wing opponent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Four out of five justices voted in favor of his conviction, while one justice voted to acquit him. Bolsonaro’s legal team has criticized the sentence as “absurdly excessive” and has announced plans to appeal.
The Supreme Court also prohibited Bolsonaro from running for public office until 2033. Despite being under house arrest due to being considered a flight risk, he did not attend the final stage of his trial. Bolsonaro has previously claimed that the trial was designed to prevent him from running in the 2026 elections, labeling it a “witch hunt.”
US President Donald Trump echoed Bolsonaro’s sentiments, describing the verdict as “very surprising” and drawing parallels to his own political situation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the decision, stating it would be met with an “appropriate response” amid diplomacy tensions.
Bolsonaro, now 70 years old, faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison, although his lawyers may argue for house arrest and a reduction in his sentence. They have also signaled they will appeal the conviction, though legal experts indicate this could be challenging due to the manner in which the justices voted.
Bolsonaro was found guilty on five charges related to attempting to retain power after his election loss. Prosecutors contended that his plans for a coup began long before the election, involving contacts with military officers and spreading baseless doubts about the electoral system. There was also an alleged plot to assassinate Lula, his running mate, and a Supreme Court Justice.
The attempted coup did not garner enough military support, but it nonetheless led to the storming of government buildings by Bolsonaro’s supporters in January 2023, resulting in over 1,500 arrests. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over the trial, stated that Brazil narrowly avoided a return to dictatorship.
Justice Cármen Lúcia, whose vote was decisive in securing the guilty majority, compared the coup attempt to a “virus” that could endanger democratic society if not addressed.
The sole dissenting opinion came from Justice Luiz Fux, who, after an 11-hour speech, argued that the accusations against Bolsonaro were unfounded and voted for his acquittal. Cármen Lúcia countered that there is “no immunity to authoritarianism” and upheld the risks that Bolsonaro’s actions posed to Brazil’s democratic order.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8xrqxk9p4xo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
