Former President Jair Bolsonaro will begin a 27-year prison sentence for a coup plot against his successor, a decision made by Brazil's Supreme Court on Tuesday, marking the culmination of years of political turmoil and legal battles.
The Supreme Court’s four-judge panel unanimously upheld the decision, rejecting Bolsonaro's appeal earlier this month.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Bolsonaro to start serving his sentence at the Federal Police Superintendency in Brasília, where he has been held since Saturday after tampering with his ankle monitor.
He had been under house arrest in a separate case before his arrest.
Bolsonaro, 70, was detained after he used a soldering iron to tamper with his ankle monitor ahead of a planned vigil outside his home.
He denied any intent to escape, attributing his actions to paranoia and hallucinations caused by medication. The court ruled that the tampering violated the terms of his house arrest.
In September, Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison for conspiring to overturn the 2022 election results, in which he lost to leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The coup plot charges were related to his efforts to interfere with the peaceful transfer of power.
Bolsonaro’s arrest is a major setback for the former president, who rose from the far-right fringe to power in 2019. Since leaving office in 2023, he has been banned from holding public office and faced several legal challenges.
Former ally, U.S. President Donald Trump, who had supported Bolsonaro, has distanced himself, and recently began reversing tariffs imposed to punish Bolsonaro's prosecution.
Congressman Lindbergh Farias called the ruling "a memorable day for Brazilian democracy," as it marked the first time in Brazil’s history that a former president and military officials were arrested for a coup attempt.
Bolsonaro's legal team, led by attorney Celso Vilardi, said the case was rushed and vowed to continue appealing the decision. Vilardi argued that more time should have been allowed for further appeals.
Bolsonaro’s son, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, described the prosecution as “psychological torture” and a “rigged game.”
His brother, Carlos Bolsonaro, stated that Bolsonaro was “emotionally destroyed” by the situation. Despite this, Bolsonaro has repeatedly insisted that he will run for president again in 2026. His political future remains uncertain, however, given the declining public support and legal issues.
Although Bolsonaro's defenders maintain that he is still politically strong, the few supporters who gathered outside the Federal Police building on Tuesday reflected his diminished influence.
Bolsonaro's defence has shifted the focus to his health issues, claiming that his frailty is the reason behind the legal challenges.
Despite the setback, Bolsonaro’s right-wing allies continue to push for his return to power, and tensions within Brazil’s polarised political landscape persist.
A powerful explosion has been reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, raising fresh concerns over aviation security in Saudi Arabi...
Turkic states are assessing the feasibility of passport-free travel between countries using national ID cards, Kürşad Zorlu, the Deputy Chair...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports, qu...
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2026 will be announced on Friday, 9 October, bringing one of the world's most closely watched awards back into focus.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports, questioning why Moscow was granted an economic benefit without an apparent concession towards ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed surprise after Donald Trump mediated the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement in 2025, the U.S. President said at a rally in New York state on Friday.
The United Nations has condemned a sharp rise in attacks on civilians in Ukraine, reporting that more than 100 people were killed and at least 429 injured in a single week as Russian strikes hit residential areas, passenger buses and critical infrastructure.
Air quality in Singapore plunged to “very unhealthy” levels on Friday, 9 October, as thick haze engulfed the city-state ahead of Sunday's Formula One Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen claimed pole position for Saturday's Sprint race.
Ukrainian drone strikes have hit two Yandex data centres in Russia on consecutive days, disrupting digital services as Kyiv intensifies attacks on Russia's digital infrastructure.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment