A majority of judges on Brazil's Supreme Court panel voted on Friday to dismiss former President Jair Bolsonaro's appeal against his 27-year prison sentence for allegedly plotting a coup to remain in power after the 2022 presidential election.
Justices Flavio Dino, Alexandre de Moraes, and Cristiano Zanin voted to reject the appeal filed by Bolsonaro's legal team. The remaining panel member has until November 14 to cast their vote. The panel comprises five seats, but one has been vacant since late October.
Bolsonaro’s lawyers, who have consistently denied any wrongdoing, did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the panel’s majority decision. Bolsonaro will begin serving his sentence once all appeals are exhausted.
Former president under house arrest
Bolsonaro has been under house arrest for nearly three months after violating precautionary measures in a separate case. His lawyers are expected to request that he be allowed to serve his sentence under similar conditions due to health concerns.
In September, four of the five judges on the Supreme Court panel voted to sentence Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison for five crimes, including participating in an armed criminal organisation, attempting to violently abolish democracy, and organising a coup.
Typically, defendants sentenced by Brazil's Supreme Court need at least two justices to disagree on the ruling to request an appeal that could significantly alter the decision.
With only one judge dissenting, Bolsonaro's lawyers filed a lesser motion, seeking clarification or a review of specific aspects of the conviction, including a reduction in the prison sentence.
The far-right leader was placed under house arrest in early August for violating precautionary measures related to his alleged attempts to convince U.S. President Donald Trump to interfere in his criminal case.
Trump has described the case against Bolsonaro as a "witch hunt" and retaliated by imposing heavy tariffs on U.S. imports of Brazilian goods, sanctioning the judge overseeing the case, and revoking visas for several Brazilian officials.
Bolsonaro was ultimately not charged by Brazil's prosecutor general for attempting to influence Trump, but a Supreme Court justice upheld the house arrest, citing the risks presented by Bolsonaro’s continued freedom, demonstrated by his conviction and repeated violations of precautionary measures.
Meanwhile, one of Bolsonaro's sons, lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, who is currently in the U.S., has been criminally charged in the case, and the Supreme Court panel is scheduled to vote later this month on whether to formally charge him.
Iran's military has threatened to launch sustained attacks on U.S. bases and interests across the Middle East if Washington resumes milita...
Nearly 130,000 people have been forced from their homes in Yemen in recent weeks as fighting intensifies along the country’s west coast, acco...
Iranian judicial authorities have shut a French language centre in Tehran linked to the French Embassy, accusing it of “illegal activities&rd...
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
Iran's military has threatened to launch sustained attacks on U.S. bases and interests across the Middle East if Washington resumes military action against Tehran.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday. A mother and her two 3-year-old children were killed when a Russian drone strike hit a private home, the emergency service said.
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is under preliminary investigation in France over a suspected conflict of interest linked to the 2024 sale of Ligue 1 broadcasting rights.
Overnight Russian strikes on the city of Sumy, northeast Ukraine, have killed one woman and injured a man, the country's State Emergency Service has said.
Russian parliamentary elections have delivered a comfortable win to the ruling United Russia party, which is closely aligned to President Vladimir Putin. With more than 95 per cent of ballots counted, United Russia has taken 57.83 per cent of the vote, up from the 49.8 per cent it won in 2021.
A powerful typhoon was approaching Japan’s Pacific coast on Monday, bringing torrential rain, strong winds and a heightened risk of landslides across the Kanto region, including Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 21 September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in sports.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment