Brazil’s Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years for coup plot
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Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election, marking a historic rebuke of the ex-president.
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Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro stands at the entrance of his home where he is under house arrest in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, September 11, 2025 (AP)
Brazil’s Supreme Court has sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison after convicting him of plotting a coup to stay in power following his 2022 election loss to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The 70-year-old became the first ex-president in Brazil’s history to be convicted for undermining democracy. A panel of five justices handed down the unanimous sentence on Thursday, though the ruling was not without dissent: Justice Luiz Fux voted to acquit Bolsonaro and questioned the court’s jurisdiction, opening a possible path for appeals as the 2026 presidential race approaches.
Justice Carmen Lucia, speaking ahead of her vote, said the case linked “Brazil’s past, its present and its future,” citing the country’s history of military coups. She said evidence showed Bolsonaro acted “with the purpose of eroding democracy and institutions.” Four justices found him guilty on charges including taking part in an armed criminal organization, attempting to violently abolish democracy, organizing a coup, and damaging government property and cultural assets.
Bolsonaro, a former army captain long sympathetic to Brazil’s 1964–85 military regime, is currently under house arrest. His lawyers denounced the sentence as “absurdly excessive” and vowed to appeal.
Trump infuriated by verdict
The verdict drew condemnation from allies of US President Donald Trump, who has called the case a “witch hunt.” Trump previously imposed tariffs and sanctions on Brazil’s judiciary in response to the prosecution and on Thursday labeled the ruling “a terrible thing” for Brazil. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that the court had “unjustly ruled” and warned Washington would respond.
Brazil’s Foreign Ministry rejected Rubio’s remarks as a threat that “attacks Brazilian authority and ignores compelling evidence,” insisting the country’s democracy “will not be intimidated.” Lula, speaking earlier on local television, said he did not fear US reprisals.
Bolsonaro has insisted he plans to contest the 2026 election despite being barred from holding public office until 2030. The court also convicted seven of his allies, including five military officers, underscoring the historic scope of a case seen as a landmark in Brazil’s effort to protect its democratic institutions.
Supreme Court convicts Bolsonaro of coup plot
Bolsonaro was convicted yesterday by a majority of Brazil's Supreme Court of orchestrating a coup attempt following his defeat in the 2022 presidential election.
Prosecutors detailed that Bolsonaro’s actions to undermine the country's democracy began as early as 2021, with a sustained campaign questioning the integrity of Brazil's electronic voting system. The plot allegedly escalated into an attempt to assassinate President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, his vice president, and Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
These plans culminated in the violent January 8, 2023, riots, during which Bolsonaro supporters stormed Congress, the presidential palace, and the Supreme Court in Brasilia.
On September 11, 2025, three of the five justices on the Supreme Court panel voted to convict Bolsonaro on five serious charges: attempting to stage a coup d'état, leading an armed criminal organization, violently seeking to dismantle democratic governance, destroying public property, and damaging protected national heritage sites.
