Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison by a panel of Supreme Court judges on charges of attempting a coup. The ex-head of state has consistently denied the accusations, may appeal the verdict, and remains under house arrest in Brasília.
Of the five charges against him, one alleged that following his defeat in the 2022 presidential election, Bolsonaro conspired to assassinate president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, vice president Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. He was also accused of participating in an armed criminal organization, attempting to violently overthrow the rule of law, committing violent damage, and vandalizing heritage-protected property.
Four out of the five judges on the panel found Bolsonaro guilty on all counts, making him the first former Brazilian president to be convicted of attempting a coup.
His co-defendants were also sentenced. General Braga Netto, Bolsonaro’s former defence minister and 2022 vice-presidential running mate, received 26 years. Admiral Almir Garnier was sentenced to 24 years, General Augusto Heleno to 21 years, and General Paulo Sérgio Nogueira to 19 years. Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, who cooperated with investigators, was sentenced to two years in prison.
‘That’s very much like they tried to do with me, but they didn’t get away with it at all’
US President Donald Trump condemned the verdict on Thursday, calling the ruling ‘very surprising’ and drawing parallels to his own legal battles. ‘I watched that trial. I know him pretty well — foreign leader. I thought he was a good president of Brazil. And it’s very surprising that that could happen,’ Trump told reporters at the White House, while also hinting at the possibility of further sanctions over the sentencing. ‘That’s very much like they tried to do with me, but they didn’t get away with it at all. But I can always say this: I knew him as president of Brazil. He was a good man, and I don’t see that happening.’
The White House had already taken steps earlier this year by imposing a 50 per cent tariff on Brazilian goods and sanctioning Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, accusing him of presiding over a politically motivated trial. Trump called Bolsonaro an ‘outstanding leader’ and described the verdict as a ‘terrible thing’ for Brazil.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the verdict as a ‘witch hunt’ on X, vowing the administration would ‘respond accordingly’.
Bolsonaro, who denies wrongdoing, has the right to appeal, though legal experts say his chances are slim. His legal team will have five days to file motions once the full ruling is published within 60 days. Bolsonaro’s supporters rallied in major cities denouncing ‘political persecution’, while his son, Sen Flávio Bolsonaro, called the ruling ‘supreme persecution’ and insisted ‘history will vindicate his father’.
While there has been no official reaction at the time of writing from Hungarian officials, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán supported Bolsonaro in the past, calling him an ‘honest patriot’ and urging him to ‘keep on fighting’ when the former Brazilian president was under investigation and at risk of arrest.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended the verdict, saying ‘hundreds of pieces of evidence’ proved Bolsonaro attempted a coup against Brazil’s democracy.
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