Brazil overturns veto on bill that reduced ex-President Bolsonaroʼs prison term

Brazilʼs Congress has overturned a veto on a bill that would have reduced the prison term of former President Jair Bolsonaro from 27 to about two years.

This is reported by the BBC.

This bill reduces the sentence for people convicted of crimes related to the coup.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva previously vetoed the bill, but Congress overturned it during a session. The law can still be challenged in the Supreme Court.

What is Jair Bolsonaro accused of?

Bolsonaro, 70, was sentenced in September 2025 to 27 years in prison for organizing an attempted coup dʼétat — after his defeat in 2022, he tried to prevent incumbent President Luiz Inácio da Silva from taking office. He was serving his sentence under house arrest due to health reasons.

At the time, the ex-president was accused of trying to enlist the support of the United States while under house arrest, although he was not allowed to use social media. In addition, he was regularly visited by political allies.

Bolsonaro has been banned from running for president until 2030 — the Brazilian electoral court found that he abused his position during the 2022 campaign.

Later, in December 2025, Brazil passed a bill that reduced Bolsonaroʼs prison term to about two years.

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