Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Coup Plot

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison after being convicted of orchestrating a military coup attempt to overturn the 2022 election results. A panel of five Supreme Court justices found Bolsonaro guilty on five charges including conspiracy to execute a coup, leading an armed criminal group, engaging in violent acts against state institutions, and damaging government property during the January 8, 2023, attack on official buildings by his supporters.

The court ruled that Bolsonaro sought to unlawfully cling to power after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, including allegations that the coup plan involved possible assassination attempts on key political figures such as Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over the trial. Four of the five judges voted to convict Bolsonaro, while one justice dissented, voting to acquit him.

Bolsonaro, currently under house arrest, has denied any wrongdoing and labeled the trial a “witch hunt,” claiming political persecution and intentions to prevent his participation in future elections. Despite the conviction, he has expressed intentions to run again in 2026, though Brazil’s electoral authorities have disqualified him from running until 2033.

The sentence marks a historic conviction as Bolsonaro becomes the first former Brazilian president found guilty of attempting to subvert democracy by force. His legal team plans to appeal the verdict, possibly taking the matter to international courts.

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The trial and verdict have sharply divided Brazilian society, with Bolsonaro’s supporters staging protests opposing the court’s decision. The ruling also sparked reactions internationally, including statements from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who criticized the proceedings as unjust.

This landmark judgment signifies a strong message in defense of democratic institutions in Brazil and serves as a precedent for accountability for attacks on democratic governance.