Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years in prison after Brazil’s Supreme Court found the former president guilty of plotting a coup following his 2022 election defeat. The court’s ruling has shaken the country, triggered international backlash, and deepened Brazil’s already sharp political divides.
The decision came on Thursday after four of the five justices found him guilty on five counts, including leading a criminal organization and plotting to remove President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Justice Carmen Lucia stated that Bolsonaro acted with the intent of undermining democracy and weakening state institutions.
Bolsonaro, now 70, did not appear in court, remaining under house arrest in Brasília. His lawyers cited health problems and immediately announced plans to appeal both in Brazil and before international courts.
Fabio Wajngarten, his close aide, released a statement from the defense calling the punishment excessive and disproportionate. His allies say the sentence represents a political attack meant to silence him ahead of the 2026 elections, where Bolsonaro has already declared he intends to run despite a current ban from public office.
The conviction follows more than a year of hearings, televised testimonies, and public debate. The prosecution’s case centered on the events of January 8, 2023, when rioters stormed Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace just days after Lula’s inauguration.
Evidence presented in court included a printed document discovered in the presidential palace that described plans to assassinate both Lula and Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over the trial. Methods listed included poison.
Prosecutors also highlighted Bolsonaro’s repeated claims that Brazil’s electronic voting system was unreliable, including a televised meeting where he presented those doubts to foreign diplomats ahead of the 2022 election. Authorities also investigated claims of voter suppression linked to his campaign.
Alongside Bolsonaro, the court also convicted seven of his top allies. Among them were former Defense Minister Walter Braga Netto, former Justice Minister Anderson Torres, and retired General Augusto Heleno Ribeiro, a close military adviser.
The decision has sharpened political divides across Brazil. Around 40,000 Bolsonaro supporters rallied in Brasília last weekend, accusing the courts of persecution. His son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, said his father was keeping his head high and confirmed that congressional allies are pushing for an amnesty bill to shield him from prison.
The ruling has already triggered diplomatic consequences. US President Donald Trump announced 50 percent tariffs on Brazilian goods, imposed sanctions on Justice de Moraes under the Magnitsky Act, and revoked visas for most members of Brazil’s Supreme Court.
Trump called the trial a witch-hunt and described Bolsonaro as a good man unfairly targeted. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also condemned the ruling, saying political persecution under de Moraes would not go unanswered.
Brazil’s Foreign Ministry responded firmly, declaring that the country would not be intimidated by foreign threats.
During the sentencing, justices warned that Bolsonaro’s actions mirrored darker chapters in Brazil’s history. Judge de Moraes said the case showed how close the country had come to sliding back toward dictatorship.
From 1964 to 1985, Brazil’s military regime oversaw the torture and deaths of hundreds of political opponents. Bolsonaro has repeatedly praised that era, once saying Brazil needed a civil war to eliminate 30,000 enemies.
His rise to power was fueled by the public anger of the “Car Wash” scandal, which discredited much of the political class and initially sent Lula to prison before his conviction was overturned.
Despite his ban from office until 2030, Bolsonaro maintains strong support among conservative and evangelical voters. Several right-wing politicians have promised to pardon him if elected in 2026.
For now, his legal team is expected to push for a reduced sentence or a full conversion to house arrest, citing age and health concerns. Brazilian courts have previously granted such concessions to elderly convicts.
The question now is whether this ruling marks a definitive end to Bolsonaro’s political career or simply another chapter in Brazil’s long struggle with democracy, justice, and accountability.
