Brazil’s Supreme Court unanimously voted to put Jair Bolsonaro on trial for attempted coup.
The former president and seven other defendants, including high-ranking military officials and former ministers from his administration (2019-2022), were indicted by the Prosecutor’s Office on charges such as violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, attempted coup, involvement in an armed criminal organization, aggravated damage, and deterioration of public assets.
The first to vote was the case’s presiding judge, Alexandre de Moraes, followed by Supreme Court ministers Flávio Dino, Luiz Fux, Carmen Lúcia, and Cristiano Zanin, all ruling unanimously.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Bolsonaro, 70, led a criminal organization that sought to prevent the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva after losing the 2022 election. If convicted, he could face up to 40 years in prison.
Bolsonaro did not attend Wednesday’s session at the Supreme Federal Court (STF) in Brasília, unlike the previous day, when he was present at the start of the deliberations.
The trial of the former president, who has openly expressed nostalgia for Brazil’s last military dictatorship (1964-1985), will be a historic moment for the country.
Prosecutors claim that the alleged plan included drafting a decree to justify a “state of defense” and even the assassination of Lula and Judge Alexandre de Moraes. However, the plot failed due to a lack of support from top military leaders.
The investigation also directly links Bolsonaro to the January 8, 2023 riots, when his supporters stormed the headquarters of the three branches of government in Brasília. Despite this, the opposition leader and key figure in the global far-right movement proclaims his innocence and claims to be a victim of political persecution.
During the first day of deliberations, Bolsonaro remained serious, sitting in the front row. In a written statement, he declared: “This is the biggest political-judicial persecution in Brazil’s history, clearly aimed at preventing me from running and winning the 2026 presidential election.”
Despite being politically barred until 2030, the former president insists he still intends to run in the next elections.
Attorney General Paulo Gonet stated on Tuesday that the conspiracy’s goal was to “carry out actions that would ensure his continued hold on power, regardless of the election results.”
Meanwhile, Bolsonaro’s lawyer, Celso Sanchez Vilardi, defended his client: “Absolutely nothing was found against Bolsonaro.”
His defense team unsuccessfully attempted to remove three judges from the case, including Alexandre de Moraes, arguing that he had a “personal interest” in the trial as one of the alleged assassination targets.
Bolsonaro, however, remains hopeful that his political ban will be overturned or reduced. “For now, I am a candidate,” he recently stated, refusing to endorse another figure from his political camp.
The former president compares his situation to that of Donald Trump and hopes the U.S. leader will exert “influence” on his behalf.
His judicial and political future remains uncertain, while current President Lula, 79, remains vague about his re-election intentions amid declining popularity.
