Bolsonaro begins 27-year sentence for coup plot after Supreme Court ruling

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 polarized political landscape persist.

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