Brazil’s Supreme Court has found former president Jair Bolsonaro guilty by majority ruling for attempting a coup to remain in power after his defeat in the 2022 election, handing him a prison sentence of 27 years and three months.
Three of the five justices on the panel voted to convict Bolsonaro on multiple counts, including leading an armed criminal organization, violent abolition of democratic rule, and staging a coup. One justice dissented, and one vote was still pending at the time of sentencing.
Bolsonaro—who has denied all charges—was not present at the court. He is under existing house arrest for other cases and plans to appeal the verdict.
The case also included convictions of seven co-defendants: military officials and former ministers implicated in the plot. The ruling is seen as a landmark moment for Brazilian democracy, asserting judicial accountability in the face of far-right challenges to democratic norms.
