A majority of Brazil’s Supreme Court judges have found former President Jair Bolsonaro guilty of crimes related to his efforts to overturn the 2022 presidential election results.
Bolsonaro, who is 70, faced five charges and was convicted on all counts. These included attempting a coup, involvement in armed criminal organizations, undermining democratic governance, and vandalizing national property. This marks the first time a former Brazilian president has faced such serious charges related to a coup attempt.
Judges Alexandre de Moraes, Flavio Dino, and Carmen Lucia Antunes Rocha supported the conviction, while Justice Luis Fuchs voted for Bolsonaro’s acquittal. Judge Cristiano Zanin has yet to cast a vote in this case.
The prosecutors argued that Bolsonaro led a conspiracy to challenge the election’s outcome. He and seven others, who are facing separate trials, were accused of plotting to assassinate Vice President Lula and other key figures.
“Label it however you’d like: it was definitely a coup order,” said De Moraes recently. “There’s been a series of actions aimed at dismantling democracy and maintaining power through a coup.”
Bolsonaro’s legal team plans to appeal the conviction to the entire 11-member Brazilian Supreme Court.
Just days after Lula assumed office in January 2023, Bolsonaro supporters vandalized a federal building in Brasilia. Later that year, Brazil’s electoral court barred Bolsonaro from holding public office until 2030, concluding that he had misused official communication channels to promote his campaign and spread voter fraud claims.
As a member of the Social Liberal Party, Bolsonaro served as president from January 2019 to January 2023. He was placed under house arrest in early August for using social media to attack judicial authorities, which included his three sons’ accounts.
Bolsonaro and his lawyer, Celso Vilardi, did not attend the trial, citing Bolsonaro’s health issues.
In a statement in July, former President Trump criticized the trial as a “witch hunt” and imposed increased tariffs on Brazilian imports, effective August 1. Certain items, like orange juice and aircraft parts, remain exempt from these tariffs.
The Ministry of Finance also supported De Moraes in July regarding concerns about pretrial detentions and freedom of expression.
Bolsonaro’s sentencing is set for Friday, and he faces a potential prison term of up to 40 years.
The White House and State Department were contacted for comments but had not responded.
