Former President Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison, Supreme Court Finds Him Guilty

Brasília (The Uttam Hindu): Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison. In a landmark decision, four out of five Supreme Court justices found him guilty of attempting a coup in the country. Following the verdict, Bolsonaro was handed a prison sentence.

He was convicted on five charges, including plotting a coup, attempting to violently overthrow democratic rule, participating in an armed criminal organization, causing serious damage, and harming listed heritage sites.

The Supreme Court hearing began on September 2, requiring a majority decision from the five-judge panel. Justices Alexander de Moraes and Flavio Dino voted to convict Bolsonaro on the charges, while Justice Luiz Fux voted in favor of acquittal. According to Xinhua News Agency, Justices Carmen Lúcia and Cristiano Zanin later cast their votes for conviction.

The 70-year-old former president currently remains under house arrest and has the option to appeal the sentence before the full 11-judge Supreme Court. He did not attend the final stages of the hearing in person.

Bolsonaro has described the trial as a conspiracy to block his candidacy for the 2026 presidential elections, although he had already been disqualified from holding public office in prior cases. He labeled the process a “witch hunt.”

Former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly supported Bolsonaro, reacting to the verdict and claiming that Brazil imposed a 50% tariff in response. Trump stated, “This is very surprising. It’s similar to what they tried to do to me, but they did not succeed.”