Former president found guilty on five counts
Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison for attempting a coup to cling to power following his 2022 election loss..
The 70-year-old, who led Brazil between 2019 and 2022, was convicted by a panel of five Supreme Court justices on Thursday.
He was found guilty on five counts: attempting to stage a coup, being part of an armed criminal organisation, seeking to abolish the democratic rule of law through violence, being implicated in violent acts, and posing a serious threat to state property and listed heritage sites.
Bolsonaro, who remains under house arrest in the capital, Brasilia, did not attend the proceedings.
Defence vows to appeal ruling.
Bolsonaro’s legal team said they would challenge the conviction, which makes him the first former Brazilian president to be sentenced for attempting a coup.
The case has been closely watched both in Brazil and internationally, with the ruling expected to intensify political divisions across the country.
Trump expresses anger at the conviction.n
Former US president Donald Trump, a close ally of Bolsonaro, condemned the ruling and warned of wider consequences.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Mr Trump said he was “very unhappy” with the decision, calling it “very bad for Brazil”.
He described Bolsonaro as “outstanding” and repeated his view that the case was a “witch hunt”.
In earlier comments, Trump had imposed tariff hikes on Brazilian goods and revoked US visas for most members of Brazil’s high court in response to the trial.
Divided Supreme Court
The sentencing came after hours of deliberation among Brazil’s top judges.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the case, said Bolsonaro had acted as the “leader of a coup plot” and directed a criminal organisation determined to overturn the election result.
He was joined in voting for conviction by Justices Flavio Dino, Carmen Lucia, and Cristiano Zanin.
Justice Luiz Fux, however, dissented, arguing that Bolsonaro should be acquitted of all charges.
Justice Lucia said the evidence clearly showed Bolsonaro had orchestrated “every possible move to maintain or seize power”.
Political future in doubt
Bolsonaro, already barred from running for office until 2030 in a separate case, is expected to hand-pick a successor to challenge current president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the upcoming elections.
On Thursday, he was briefly seen outside the garage of his residence in Brasilia but did not speak to the media.
The conviction is expected to cast a long shadow over Brazil’s political landscape, raising questions about the future of Bolsonaro’s movement and its influence on national politics.
M10News Politics Desk | Contact: politics@m10news.com
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