Brazil’s Supreme Court Panel Rejects Bolsonaro’s Appeal of Coup Conviction
A majority of justices on Brazil’s Supreme Court panel reviewing former President Jair Bolsonaro’s appeal rejected his request today, moving him closer to potentially serving a lengthy prison sentence.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the case’s rapporteur, dismissed all defense arguments as “unfeasible,” stating there were no errors in the original sentencing. Justices Flávio Dino and Cristiano Zanin concurred with De Moraes’ assessment. While Justice Cármen Lúcia’s vote is still pending, she is widely expected to join the majority. The panel has until November 14 to finalize their votes, though changes remain possible.
Bolsonaro was convicted in September of attempting a coup following his 2022 electoral defeat and sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison; he has been under house arrest since August. His legal team argued the conviction for both organizing a coup and attempting to violently abolish democracy constituted unjust cumulative penalties. However, De Moraes asserted there was sufficient evidence demonstrating Bolsonaro’s awareness of the plot to remain in power, stating, “It was also demonstrated that the appellant acted freely and knowingly to spread false information about the electronic voting system and to draft a coup decree, which constituted the practice of a coup d’état and a violent attempt to abolish the rule of law.” This case has significant implications for democratic stability in the region, as highlighted by organizations like the Human Rights Watch.
The trial garnered international attention, even prompting a response from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports citing the case as a “witch hunt.” Relations between the two countries have since improved following discussions between President Lula and President Trump, as reported in Reuters. Bolsonaro will only begin serving his sentence once all appeals are exhausted.
Officials stated that the panel will submit their final votes by November 14th, after which the decision will be formally announced.
