Brazil’s Supreme Court Upholds Jair Bolsonaro’s 27-Year Prison Sentence for Coup Plot

Brazil’s Supreme Court has unanimously rejected former President Jair Bolsonaro’s appeal against his 27-year prison sentence for attempting to stage a coup following his 2022 election loss. The panel, composed of Justices Flavio Dino, Alexandre de Moraes, Cristiano Zanin, and Carmen Lucia, upheld the earlier ruling. The fifth seat on the panel has remained vacant since late October.

Bolsonaro, who continues to deny any wrongdoing, will not begin serving his prison sentence until all appeals are exhausted — a process that could conclude as early as this month, according to court insiders. His legal team had sought to challenge the ruling, aiming to reduce his sentence by contesting specific points of the decision. However, with all four sitting justices in agreement, the court found no grounds to alter the outcome.

The former president was convicted in September on multiple charges, including participating in an armed criminal organization, attempting to violently undermine democracy, and plotting to retain power through unconstitutional means. Normally, Supreme Court defendants need at least two dissenting votes to file a broader appeal capable of overturning a sentence.

Bolsonaro has been under house arrest for three months for breaching precautionary measures linked to allegations that he sought help from former U.S. President Donald Trump to interfere in his legal troubles. His defense team is expected to petition for continued house arrest, citing ongoing health problems stemming from the 2018 stabbing incident during his presidential campaign. Bolsonaro has undergone six intestinal surgeries since the attack, the latest lasting 12 hours in April.

Meanwhile, Trump has denounced the case as a “witch hunt,” responding by slapping tariffs on U.S. imports of Brazilian goods, sanctioning the presiding judge, and revoking the visas of several Brazilian officials.