Jair Bolsonaro's Coup Trial Nears Conclusion in Brazil's Supreme Court
Supreme Court judges will decide by 12 September if former president Jair Bolsonaro masterminded a coup after losing the 2022 election, in a case that could carry over 40 years in prison.
Trial heads toward verdict
The Supreme Court panel will decide by 12 September whether former president Jair Bolsonaro planned a coup after losing the 2022 election. He and seven co-defendants face five charges, including leading an armed criminal organisation and attempting to abolish Brazil’s democratic rule of law.
Key allegations and evidence
Investigators say Bolsonaro knew of plans dating back to 2019 to remain in power, including an assassination plot against president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Justice Alexandre de Moraes. They cite intercepted conversations and meetings at the presidential residence.
He also allegedly sought military support in December 2022. While army and air force commanders refused, Navy Commander Almir Garnier Santos expressed support, a claim Santos denies. Bolsonaro’s allies are accused of online attacks against commanders who did not join the plan.
Potential outcomes and next steps
If convicted, Bolsonaro faces over 40 years in prison and is already barred from running in 2026. He is under house arrest with an ankle monitor and banned from travelling. The trial will begin with opening statements, followed by the reading of charges, testimony from a cooperating defendant, and closing arguments. A majority of three votes is needed for conviction, with sentences to be proposed by each judge and the right to appeal to the full court.
Bolsonaro’s trial will shape Brazil’s democratic landscape by testing the judiciary’s resolve against threats to the republic.
This topic was reported by BBC.
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