Supreme Court to decide on accusations of a Bolsonaro coup attempt
Judicial timeline and potential sentencing
The ruling will take place during extraordinary sessions on September 2, 3, 9, 10, and 12.
If found guilty, the former president may face up to 40 years in prison.
January 2023 unrest and the alleged coup plot
Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings in Brasília on January 8, 2023, a week after the inauguration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The protestors claimed election fraud and urged the military to intervene.
Legal arguments and defense claims
The prosecutor’s office alleges that Bolsonaro led an “armed criminal organization” that orchestrated the coup attempt.
The defense maintains that there is no basis to convict Bolsonaro on the evidence presented, and argues that the proceedings already demonstrate that he ordered the transition of power to Lula.
Bolsonaro’s lawyers question the validity of the plea bargain given to Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, whose testimony underpins many of the accusations.
International diplomatic tensions and U.S. response
President Donald Trump has called the trial a “witch hunt” and has sanctioned Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the case.
Trump signed an executive order imposing 50 % tariffs on many Brazilian imports, citing Bolsonaro’s “politically motivated persecution.”
Current status and upcoming motions
Bolsonaro was placed under house arrest in Brasília this month for violating a ban on using social media to plead his case to the public.
The Supreme Court will begin deciding on September 2 whether the former far‑right president is guilty of plotting a coup and whether he should be imprisoned.
