Brazil’s Supreme Court on Thursday sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison after finding him guilty of attempting a coup to remain in power following his 2022 election defeat to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The five-member First Panel of the court convicted Bolsonaro on five counts, including attempting a coup, participating in an armed criminal organization, attempting violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, and causing damage to government and protected property. Chief Justice Luís Roberto Barroso called the ruling a "watershed moment in Brazil's history." The decision was 4-1, with Justice Luiz Fux delivering a 13-hour dissent saying there was insufficient evidence to convict.
Prosecutors said the case stemmed from a February charge filed by Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet Branco after federal police recommended criminal charges in November 2024. They accused Bolsonaro and allies of actions between 2021 and 2023 intended to secure his grip on power, including efforts to undermine electronic voting machines, plans to arrest Supreme Court justices, and plots to poison or assassinate political rivals. Prosecutors also cited Bolsonaro’s role in encouraging supporters to gather in Brasília on Jan. 8, 2023, where thousands stormed and vandalized federal executive, judicial and legislative buildings.
During the trial, Bolsonaro denied orchestrating a coup but acknowledged that he and some officials had studied constitutionally permitted "alternatives" to remain in office, including deploying the military and declaring a state of siege. Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over aspects of the case and earlier ordered the shutdown of X in Brazil, was the first justice to vote to convict, saying the defendant had publicly stated he would not accept defeat at the polls.
Several former Bolsonaro allies and officials who prosecutors said formed the core of the alleged criminal organization also received lengthy sentences. Gen. Walter Braga Netto, Bolsonaro’s former defense minister and 2022 running mate, was sentenced to 26 years; Adm. Almir Garnier Santos, a former navy commander, received 24 years; Gen. Augusto Heleno was sentenced to 21 years; and former defense minister Gen. Paulo Sérgio Nogueira received 19 years. Lt. Col. Mauro Cid, a top aide who cooperated with investigators, was given a two-year sentence in an open-regime arrangement.
Bolsonaro, 70, has been under house arrest since Aug. 4 and will not necessarily be sent to prison immediately. His legal team said it will appeal the ruling to the full 11-justice Supreme Court. Brazil’s electoral court has separately barred Bolsonaro from seeking public office for eight years, until 2030, over statements that undermined the 2022 election.
The verdict intensified political polarization across Brazil. Supporters of Bolsonaro protested in Brasília, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo ahead of and following the ruling, while supporters of President Lula held counterprotests calling for the former president’s imprisonment. Bolsonaro has said he intends to run again in 2026 despite the electoral ban, and some allies have floated efforts in Congress to seek amnesty measures.
The conviction prompted reactions abroad, particularly from figures aligned with Bolsonaro. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called Bolsonaro a friend, called the decision "surprising" and likened it to legal actions he faced in the United States. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio posted on X criticizing Justice Alexandre de Moraes and calling the ruling political persecution, saying the United States "will respond accordingly." The Trump administration had previously taken steps against Brazilian officials, including sanctions and visa revocations tied to the case and announcing elevated tariffs on some Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro’s conviction joins those of two other recent former presidents. Fernando Collor de Mello was convicted on corruption charges in 2023, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva faced a prior conviction in the Operation Car Wash investigation that led to imprisonment in 2018 before his conviction was later set aside by the Supreme Court.
Legal experts said the appeals process and possible political maneuvers in Congress will determine whether Bolsonaro serves his sentence and what impact the ruling will have on Brazil’s political landscape ahead of the 2026 election. For now, the decision marks the first time a former Brazilian head of state has been convicted on coup-related charges, underscoring the judiciary’s role in addressing the Jan. 8 attack and broader concerns about democratic stability in the country.