Brasília, Sep 11: A panel of Brazilian Supreme Court justices sentenced former president Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison Thursday after convicting him of attempting a coup to remain in office despite his 2022 electoral defeat.
Bolsonaro is currently under house arrest in Brasilia. He can appeal the sentence.
Four of the five justices reviewing the case in the panel found the far-right politician guilty on five counts.
U.S. President Donald Trump said hours later that he was “very unhappy” with the conviction. Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House, he said he always found Bolsonaro to be “outstanding.”
Earlier on Thursday , Brazil’s Supreme Court reached the majority of three votes needed to convict firebrand ex-president Jair Bolsonaro of plotting a coup, making a lengthy prison sentence a near certainty.
Judge Carmen Lucia was the third of five judges to find the 70-year-old far-right leader guilty of plotting to claw back power after his defeat in October 2022 elections to leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Bolsonaro’s conviction will however only become final when the fifth and last judge has his say.
The former army captain could face a prison sentence of more than 40 years if found guilty on all five charges, including leading a “criminal organisation” to conspire to overthrow current president Mr. Lula.
Judge Lucia voted to convict him on the criminal organisation charge but had not yet voted on the four other charges.
Bolsonaro claims he is the victim of political persecution.
His ally U.S. President Donald Trump has branded the trial a “witch hunt” and slapped 50% tariffs on an array of Brazilian imports as retaliation. (Agencies)
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