Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered Jair Bolsonaro to begin a 27-year prison sentence, cementing the former president’s conviction for leading a criminal conspiracy to overturn his 2022 election loss.
The ruling by Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Tuesday mandates that Bolsonaro start serving his sentence immediately in a federal police jail in Brasília, where he has been held since the weekend. The court declared the case final, barring any further appeals and closing the door on a dramatic legal battle.
The conviction stems from a detailed plot to nullify Bolsonaro’s defeat to left-wing rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and return him to power with military support. Supreme Court justices found that Bolsonaro was not only aware of the plan but also incited his supporters, who ultimately stormed government buildings on January 8, 2023. The court revealed that the conspiracy included plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, and to execute Justice Moraes himself.
Detention and Desperation
Bolsonaro’s imprisonment follows a weekend hearing where he admitted to trying to remove his ankle monitor with a soldering iron. He attributed the act to medicine-induced “paranoia” and insisted he never intended to flee. In response, Justice Moraes has ordered that Bolsonaro receive full-time medical care for his reportedly worsening health.
The failed coup attempt ultimately lacked the backing of key military commanders, allowing Lula to be sworn in peacefully. However, the subsequent riot on January 8 led to roughly 1,500 arrests and laid the groundwork for the former president’s downfall.
In addition to his prison term, Bolsonaro is barred from running for public office until 2060—a ban he has denounced as a political “witch hunt” designed to block his potential 2026 presidential bid.
The ruling also extends to his co-conspirators. Justice Moraes ordered that former ministers and generals convicted in the plot must now begin serving their own sentences, marking a decisive end to one of the most significant political trials in Brazil’s modern history.
By James Kisoo
