Bolsonaro Convicted for Coup Plot: Brazil’s Supreme Court Hands Down Verdict

A majority of a Brazilian Supreme Court panel has convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro of attempting to stage a coup to remain in power after the 2022 election. Three of five justices on the panel voted to convict Bolsonaro on all five counts he faced. The former president, who has been under house arrest since August, could face up to 40 years in prison.
Bolsonaro was charged with plotting a coup d’état, taking part in an armed criminal organization, attempting to abolish Brazil’s democratic order by force, committing violent acts against state institutions, and damaging protected public property during the storming of government buildings by his supporters on January 8, 2023. Prosecutors alleged part of the coup plot involved a plan to potentially use explosives, weapons of war, or poison to assassinate leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw Bolsonaro’s trial.
Bolsonaro and other defendants in the trial have denied wrongdoing. The evidence against him largely centered on efforts to stay in power after losing the 2022 election to Lula da Silva. Federal police stated Bolsonaro had “full knowledge” of a plan to overturn election results, pressure the military to intervene, and create a parallel “crisis management office” to run the government.
Supreme Court Justice Luiz Fux voted to acquit Bolsonaro of forming a criminal organization and to annul his trial over jurisdiction, diverging from his peers. Fux argued the case should be heard by the full 11-member Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled against Bolsonaro with decisive criticism, calling him “the leader of a criminal organization” and citing evidence of a plot by elite army personnel to assassinate Lula and Moraes. A document codenamed Operation Green and Yellow Dagger, which outlined plans to poison Lula and shoot Moraes, was presented in court.
Bolsonaro’s allies have criticized Moraes’ handling of the trial, while the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Moraes, including stripping his U.S. visa and levying tariffs on Brazilian goods. Bolsonaro has indicated he will appeal the guilty verdict, with other defendants also denying the charges.