Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison after being found guilty of plotting a coup to stay in power after losing the 2022 election.
Reuters writes about this.
The verdict was handed down by a panel of five judges of Brazilʼs Supreme Court, making Bolsonaro, 70, the first former president in the countryʼs history to be convicted of an attack on democracy.
Judge Carmen Lucia said there was sufficient evidence that Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest, acted "with the aim of undermining democracy and institutions".
Four out of five judges voted to convict the former president of five crimes: participation in an armed criminal organization; attempting to violently destroy democracy; organizing a coup; and damaging state property and cultural heritage sites.
The verdict was not unanimous: on the eve of the announcement of the decision, Judge Louis Fuchs separated himself from his colleagues, acquitting the former president of all charges and questioning the courtʼs jurisdiction.
This single vote could open the way to an appeal of the decision, which could delay the final completion of the process closer to the presidential elections in October 2026. Bolsonaro himself has repeatedly stated that he will run, despite the ban on holding office.
Bolsonaroʼs lawyers called the sentence "absurdly excessive" in a statement and promised to file appropriate appeals.
- Jair Bolsonaro was the president of Brazil from 2019 to 2023. After he lost the election, his supporters stormed the presidential palace and other government buildings. Bolsonaro was later banned from running for president for eight years.
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