By: Isaac Kwabena Boadu Date: 16th September, 2025
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison for plotting a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The Supreme Court of Brazil convicted Bolsonaro of attempting to overturn the election results and cling to power, marking the first time a former Brazilian president has been convicted of such a crime.
Bolsonaro’s efforts to plot a coup began before the 2022 elections and continued until January 8, 2023, when his supporters stormed key government buildings, including the presidential palace, Congress, and the Supreme Court. He spread unverified claims about Brazil’s electronic voting system to erode public trust in the electoral process.
Currently, Bolsonaro is under house arrest due to his age and health issues, stemming from complications related to a stabbing during the 2018 election campaign. However, this arrangement might change pending appeal decisions. His lawyers plan to appeal the ruling, calling the prison term “absurdly excessive,” but experts believe the full bench is unlikely to overturn the conviction given the overwhelming evidence.
The conviction makes Bolsonaro permanently ineligible to run for public office, effectively ending his political career. US President Donald Trump, a close ally of Bolsonaro, has criticized the trial as a “witch hunt” and imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian exports to the United States. Trump has also sanctioned Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who led the Supreme Court panel for Bolsonaro’s trial.
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