Brazil Convicts Bolsonaro of 2022 Coup Plot, Sentences Him to 27 Years

Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for plotting a 2022 coup. He is under house arrest and plans to appeal. The case has sparked protests in Brazil and drew support from former US President Donald Trump.

A panel of Brazilian Supreme Court justices on Thursday reached the majority needed to convict former President Jair Bolsonaro of plotting a coup in 2022 after he lost the presidential election to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The right-wing populist was found guilty after three out of five Supreme Court justices voted to convict him. The court subsequently sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison. His lawyers stated that he would appeal the conviction, including at the international level.

Justice Carmen Lucia, whose vote was decisive, described the case as a "meeting between Brazil and its past, its present, and its future," alluding to previous attempts to overthrow democracy in the country’s history. Lucia said there was sufficient evidence to show that Bolsonaro acted "with the purpose of eroding democracy and institutions."

The judges voted to convict Bolsonaro on charges of participating in an armed criminal organization, attempting to violently abolish democracy, organizing a coup, and damaging government property and protected cultural assets. The conviction will become final after the fifth judge, Lula's former lawyer Cristiano Zanin, casts his vote. One judge has already voted to acquit.

On January 8, 2023, Bolsonaro supporters stormed multiple government buildings in Brasilia, just days after Lula’s inauguration. In July, Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet stated that Bolsonaro and seven others had participated in an "armed criminal association" that sought to "violently overthrow the democratic order." This trial marks the first time a former Brazilian president has faced charges related to a coup.

Bolsonaro is currently under house arrest, with Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes labeling him a "flight risk" last month. Despite this, he remains a popular political figure in Brazil, and tens of thousands of his supporters rallied in cities across the country ahead of the verdict.

The case has also heightened tensions between the United States and Brazil. US President Donald Trump denounced the case against Bolsonaro as a "witch hunt" and imposed a 50% tariff on various Brazilian goods. Brazilian President Lula criticized Trump’s interference, calling it "unacceptable" and an attempt to undermine Brazil's sovereignty. Trump, who has faced similar charges regarding his attempts to overturn the 2020 US election, expressed support for Bolsonaro, calling his coup conviction "very surprising."

Bolsonaro’s supporters view the charges as politically motivated and welcomed Trump’s backing.