Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro has been directed to begin serving his 27-year prison sentence in a small 12-square-meter room at a federal police facility in Brasília, following his conviction for orchestrating a coup attempt.

The 70-year-old far-right leader, who governed Brazil from 2019 to 2022, was sentenced in September after the supreme court ruled he led a criminal conspiracy aimed at preventing his leftwing opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, from assuming office.

According to court findings, the coup plot included plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin. The effort collapsed after senior military commanders declined to participate. Bolsonaro and six associates were later convicted of attempting to “annihilate” Brazilian democracy and move the country back toward authoritarian rule.

On Tuesday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Bolsonaro to begin serving his term after the appeals window formally closed. Bolsonaro had been under house arrest since August and was placed in preventive custody on Saturday after unsuccessfully attempting to remove his electronic ankle monitor with a soldering iron.

It is worth noting that his six co-conspirators were also ordered to report to prison.

Sentences handed down to Bolsonaro allies

Former Defense Minister Gen Paulo Sergio Nogueira de Oliveira and former institutional security chief Gen Augusto Heleno were detained at the Planalto Military Command in Brasília, receiving 19- and 21-year sentences respectively.

Adm Almir Garnier Santos, the former navy commander sentenced to 24 years, was reportedly arrested by naval officials and taken to a navy base.

Gen Walter Braga Netto, Bolsonaro’s former defense minister, who received a 26-year sentence, had already been in custody after a December arrest.

Former Justice Minister Anderson Torres, sentenced to 24 years, is expected to be held at Papudinha, a penitentiary designated for police officers and other “special” inmates.

Alexandre Ramagem, the former intelligence chief sentenced to 16 years, recently fled to the United States.

Celebration among Bolsonaro critics

Bolsonaro’s imprisonment has sparked celebrations among progressive Brazilians who associate his presidency with environmental destruction, democratic backsliding, and hostility toward marginalized groups.

His handling of the COVID-19 crisis, marked by resistance to scientific guidance, was widely blamed for the deaths of hundreds of thousands.

In Rio de Janeiro, record store owner Mustafa Baba-Aissa hung a banner reading: “Bolsonaro’s in jail!” and covered his shop windows with posters marking the moment. “He’s a contemptible man who has done nothing with his life apart from living off public money … I’ve no idea how he was elected,” he said.

Bolsonaristas decry 'kidnapping', 'political persecution'

Bolsonaro supporters condemned his detention, rallying around the former army captain who rose to power in 2018 while styling himself as South America’s version of Donald Trump.

“He’s been kidnapped,” said Ronny de Souza, a 43-year-old supporter gathered near the police facility where Bolsonaro was taken last weekend amid fears he was attempting to flee to a foreign embassy.

Delegado Caveira, an Amazon-region politician, insisted Bolsonaro was the victim of a political purge. “He fought against the system, and now the system has unfairly and illegally incarcerated him,” he claimed.

Supporters vowed to continue mobilizing. Souza predicted large crowds would descend on Brasília: “He represents millions of people in our country.”

Waning movement, limited protests

Yet despite these calls, demonstrations have remained small. Only modest groups have gathered outside the federal police compound, praying and protesting Bolsonaro’s arrest.

Analysts say his influence has diminished sharply, particularly after he attempted to disable his ankle tag. Political scientist Camila Rocha said polling shows a clear decline in Bolsonaro’s base, noting only 13% of voters still support him “no matter what.” A rally organized by his family last month drew just 2,000 people, a far cry from the huge crowds he once commanded.

Rocha argued Bolsonaro’s downfall could benefit rightwing politicians seeking to inherit his voters while potentially reducing “anti-democratic extremism” in Brazil.

Not all of the convicted plotters were detained. Ramagem, the former intelligence chief, declared in a video from the US: “I’m safe in the US,” urging supporters to “defend ‘our greatest leader.'” There was no sign his message had mobilized significant protests. After visiting his father, Carlos Bolsonaro told reporters, “He’s psychologically devastated.”

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