Bolsonaro Faces Imminent Prison as Supreme Court Upholds Coup Plot Sentence

The former president’s final appeal was unanimously rejected, clearing the way for an arrest warrant to be issued as early as next week.

BRASILIA – Brazil’s former far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro is on the brink of imprisonment after the country’s Supreme Court formally rejected his appeal against a 27-year sentence for his role in a failed coup attempt following the 2022 election.

The court’s decision, which became official on Friday, solidifies a ruling from last week where a panel of judges unanimously voted to uphold the conviction. Bolsonaro was found guilty in September of orchestrating a multi-pronged scheme to prevent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking power, a plot that prosecutors said included plans to assassinate Lula, his vice president, and a Supreme Court justice.

With the appeal denied, the legal path for Bolsonaro is narrowing rapidly. A court source indicated that the defense now has just five days to submit a final appeal once the hearing’s result is published, expected early next week. Lead Judge Alexandre de Moraes is anticipated to swiftly deny this last-ditch effort and issue the final judgment, followed by an arrest warrant.

“Generally, after the publication of the final judgment, the arrest warrant is issued on the same day,” explained Thiago Bottino, a professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation Law School. It is estimated that Bolsonaro could be taken into custody by the last week of November.

A Detailed Coup Plot

The conviction centers on Bolsonaro’s extensive efforts to undermine Brazil’s electronic voting system to lay the groundwork for alleging fraud after his loss to Lula. The case revealed a shocking plan for a military intervention, which prosecutors asserted failed only because it lacked support from the top military brass.

Evidence presented to the court included an audio message from a federal police agent suspected of being part of a planned hit squad. “We were ready to kill a lot of people,” Wladimir Soares said in the recording. “We were only awaiting orders from the president, but he backed down.”

In his ruling, Judge Moraes stated that the 27-year sentence was justified by Bolsonaro’s “high culpability” as president and the severe impact of the crimes. He directly linked Bolsonaro to inciting the January 8, 2023, riots, when his supporters stormed government buildings in an attempt to trigger a military coup.

The 70-year-old Bolsonaro, who has maintained his innocence, is currently under house arrest. Due to health issues from a 2018 stabbing, he may request to serve his full prison term at home.

In a related development on Friday, the same Supreme Court panel also voted to advance a criminal case against Bolsonaro’s son, lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, for allegedly lobbying for U.S. sanctions to influence his father’s trial.