Brazil’s top court seals the former leader’s fate, with an arrest warrant now the imminent next step following the rejection of his last major legal challenge.
BRASILIA – Jair Bolsonaro’s legal shields have fallen, as Brazil’s Supreme Court closed the door on his attempt to overturn a conviction for plotting to overturn the 2022 election. The definitive rejection of his appeal paves the way for the former president to be imprisoned.
The court’s ruling, finalized Friday, upholds the landmark sentence of 27 years for crimes linked to a concerted effort to subvert democracy and keep President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from office. The prosecution’s case detailed a brazen plan that included potential political assassinations, which only collapsed after military leaders refused to participate.
The unanimous decision by the panel of justices shifts the focus from if Bolsonaro will be imprisoned to when. The process to issue an arrest warrant is now procedural and could be triggered within days. Legal experts suggest the 70-year-old could be taken into custody before the end of the month.
Judge Alexandre de Moraes, overseeing the case, condemned the “deliberate” nature of the coup attempt in his ruling, citing Bolsonaro’s central role in inciting his supporters. This culminated in the January 8th riots, where a mob invaded and ransacked the halls of power in Brasília.
The evidence against Bolsonaro was damning, including testimony from within the plot. “We were ready to kill a lot of people,” said federal police agent Wladimir Soares in a leaked audio message, adding they were only “awaiting orders from the president.”
Now under house arrest, Bolsonaro may petition to serve his full sentence at home due to health concerns. In a separate but related move, the court also advanced a criminal case against his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, for allegedly attempting to obstruct the trial.
