Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro sentenced to over 27 years in prison

Brasilia: Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison after four out of five Supreme Federal Court justices voted to convict him of attempting a coup.

Justices Carmen Lucia and Cristiano Zanin cast their votes to convict him on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Bolsonaro was found guilty on five counts — plotting a coup d’etat, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, participation in an armed criminal organization, aggravated damage, and deterioration of listed heritage sites.

The Supreme Federal Court opened the case on September 2, with a conviction requiring a majority of the five-justice panel reviewing the case.

Justices Alexandre de Moraes and Flavio Dino on Tuesday found Bolsonaro guilty of the related charges, while Justice Luiz Fux on Wednesday voted for acquittal.

The 70-year-old former president is currently under house arrest. He may still appeal the verdict to the full Supreme Federal Court of 11 justices.

Bolsonaro did not attend this final phase of the trial in person.

But he has in the past said it was designed to prevent him from running in the 2026 presidential election – even though he had already been barred from public office on separate charges. He has also called it a “witch hunt”.

His words have previously been echoed by US President, Donald Trump, who imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Brazilian goods, framing them as retaliation for Bolsonaro’s prosecution.

Reacting to the guilty verdict, Trump said he found it “very surprising” and compared it to his own experience: “That’s very much like they tried to do with me. But they didn’t get away with it at all.”

IANS