The trial of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro entered a decisive stage Tuesday as the verdict and sentencing phase began over accusations that he conspired to remain in power after losing the 2022 election.
A Supreme Court panel has scheduled sessions through Sept. 12 to determine whether the far-right leader is guilty of trying to overturn the vote that narrowly made Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva president.
Bolsonaro, who insists he is innocent, faces five charges connected to an alleged coup attempt. Currently under house arrest, he has repeatedly claimed the case is politically motivated.
That claim has drawn support from U.S. President Donald Trump, who linked a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports to Bolsonaro’s legal battle and described the proceedings as a “witch hunt” against his ally. The comment has sparked nationalist backlash among Brazilian politicians.
The ex-president is accused of plotting a coup, joining an armed criminal organization, attempting to violently undermine democracy, and committing two acts of state property destruction. A conviction on the coup charge alone could result in up to 12 years in prison.
Seven Bolsonaro allies are also on trial, including former running mate and defense minister Walter Braga Netto and ex-defense minister Paulo Sérgio Nogueira.
Brazil’s electoral court has already barred Bolsonaro from running for office until 2030 for abusing his presidential powers and spreading baseless claims against the country’s electronic voting system.
According to a federal police probe, the spread of disinformation about the voting system was part of a wider strategy to cling to power. Prosecutors allege that plan included assassination plots against Lula and a Supreme Court justice, as well as the Jan. 8 attack on government buildings that sought to trigger military intervention against Lula’s new administration.
The prosecution completed its case in July, followed by the defense in mid-August. Soon after, police accused Bolsonaro and his son Eduardo of obstructing justice in a separate case, saying the former president once considered fleeing to Argentina for asylum.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, who relocated to the U.S. earlier this year despite holding a congressional seat, has lobbied for sanctions against Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees his father’s trial. Trump’s administration imposed such sanctions in late July.
Authorities consider Bolsonaro a flight risk. Ahead of the verdict phase, the Supreme Court imposed tighter security, including inspections of vehicles leaving his residence and constant monitoring of the area.
Observers have described the case as ‘historic,’ noting it is the first time top officials accused of attempting a coup face trial.
Brazil was ruled by a military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985, an era Bolsonaro has openly admired. While an Amnesty Law passed in 1979 shielded officials from prosecution for human rights abuses, experts say this trial signals a break with that legacy of impunity.
“History will tell whether it is 100% successful, but what we are seeing today is a movement that breaks with a tradition of military coups,” said Lucas Figueiredo, a writer on Brazil’s dictatorship era.