The deck, critics say, was stacked against Bolsonaro. “Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was predictably convicted today by a perfectly constructed partial group of the Supreme Court of plotting a coup — by a 4-1 vote — and sentenced to 27 years and 3 months in a serious, hard-core prison,” journalist Glenn Greenwald reported Thursday.
Bolsonaro, currently under house arrest in Brasília, was accused of trying to remain in power after his 2022 election defeat. Four of the five justices voted for conviction, including Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has been repeatedly accused of political persecution. Greenwald noted that although the court has 11 justices, Bolsonaro’s case was sent to a smaller five-judge panel, making conviction “100% guaranteed.”
The sentence marks the first time a former Brazilian president has been convicted of attempting a coup. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing and his legal team confirmed plans to appeal the ruling to the full Supreme Court, reports BBC.
Reactions from Washington came quickly. President Donald Trump called the conviction “very bad for Brazil” and said he always found Bolsonaro to be “outstanding.” Speaking to reporters, Trump compared the charges to his own legal battles, saying the case looked “very much like they tried to do with me.”
Justice Carmen Lucia, who sided with conviction, said the court was convinced Bolsonaro orchestrated efforts to “maintain or seize power.” It's seeen by critics that the case is part of the broader campaign to sideline Bolsonaro and his allies through judicial overreach.
Bolsonaro, who did not attend the proceedings, was briefly seen at his residence on Thursday morning but declined to speak to reporters. His lawyers maintain the charges are unfounded and politically motivated.
