Jair Bolsonaro

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison after the country’s Supreme Court convicted him of orchestrating a failed coup attempt following his 2022 election loss to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

On Thursday, four of the five justices on the court panel voted to convict Bolsonaro on charges including leading a “criminal organisation” to conspire against democracy. Justice Carmen Lucia said there was ample evidence he acted “with the purpose of eroding democracy and institutions.” Justice Luiz Fux dissented, voting to acquit the 70-year-old former president.

Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest, faced up to 40 years in prison. His lawyers described the ruling as “incredibly excessive and disproportionate” and pledged to appeal domestically and at the international level.

Despite being barred from running for office until 2030, Bolsonaro has repeatedly insisted he will contest the presidency in 2026. His son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, said his father was “holding his head high in the face of this persecution,” and vowed that allies in Congress would fight for an amnesty bill.

The court also convicted seven of Bolsonaro’s close associates, including his 2022 running mate Walter Braga Netto, former Defence Minister Paulo Sergio Nogueira, and ex-Justice Minister Anderson Torres.

The verdict has sparked political turmoil. Tens of thousands of Bolsonaro supporters rallied in Brasilia over the weekend, denouncing the trial as political persecution. Analysts warn the sentence could trigger further unrest among his loyal base.

The ruling has also drawn sharp international reactions. U.S. President Donald Trump, a close ally of Bolsonaro, condemned the verdict as a “witch-hunt,” slapping Brazil with new tariffs and sanctions against Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. “It’s very much like they tried to do with me,” Trump said, calling Bolsonaro a “good man” and “good president.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed Trump, accusing Brazil’s judiciary of “political persecution.” Brazil’s Foreign Ministry swiftly rejected the criticism, warning it would not be intimidated by foreign “threats.”

Bolsonaro, a former army captain who long praised Brazil’s 1964–85 military dictatorship, rose to power in 2018 on an anti-establishment wave. But his refusal to accept Lula’s 2022 victory, coupled with his fiery rhetoric, culminated in the January 2023 storming of Brazil’s Congress by his supporters—events prosecutors argued were part of a broader conspiracy to subvert democracy.