Brazil's Supreme Court sentences Jair Bolsonaro to more than 27 years in prison for alleged coup attempt
In an unexpected turn of events, the First Chamber of the court brought forward the sentencing hearing, initially scheduled for Friday, and handed down the sentence on Thursday after finding the former president guilty by four votes to one.
Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's former president (File)
Brazil's Supreme Court sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison for his role in a plot to overturn the 2022 elections and cling to power.
In an unexpected turn of events, the First Chamber of the court brought forward the sentencing hearing, initially scheduled for Friday, and handed down the sentence on Thursday after finding the former president guilty by four votes to one, according to EFE.
Bolsonaro was convicted on five charges: planning a coup d'état, participating in an armed criminal organization, attempting to abolish the democratic order by force, committing violent acts against state institutions, and damaging protected public property during the assault on government buildings by his supporters on January 8, 2023.
The prosecution said the plot included plans to assassinate President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, using explosives, military weapons, or poison.
The decision was supported by judges Cármen Lúcia Antunes Rocha, Alexandre de Moraes, Flávio Dino, and Cristiano Zanin. Judge Luiz Fux was the only one who voted for acquittal, arguing that there was a lack of direct evidence against Bolsonaro. In addition to the former president, seven other defendants, including former ministers and former military leaders, were convicted in the same trial.
Reactions
The sentence sparked an immediate response from the Bolsonaro family. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president's eldest son, expressed his outrage outside his father's residence, where he remains under house arrest. “We will not accept this sentence. We will fight to the end,” he said, according to CNN, defending his father.
Politics
Treasury sanctions Brazilian Judge Alexandre de Moraes for human rights violations
Agustina Blanco
U.S. sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes
The Department of the Treasury, through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), imposed sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act, blocking any assets of Moraes in U.S. territory and prohibiting transactions with U.S. persons or entities.
These actions follow the revocation of his visa and those of his immediate family members by the Department of State for his role in censorship campaigns against U.S. citizens.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described Moraes as responsible for a "witch hunt" that threatens U.S. interests and freedoms.
For his part, President Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on most Brazilian products, effective August 6, in response to the political persecution against Bolsonaro and his followers, considered a serious violation of human rights. However, about 700 key products, such as aircraft, energy, and orange juice, were exempted to mitigate economic impacts.
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