Brazil: Jair Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempted coup, faces appeal

Brazil: Brazilian Ex-president, 70-year-old Jair Messias Bolsonaro has been sentenced to face 27 years and three months in prison after the Supreme Court convicted him of an attempt to stage a coup to stay in office despite his 2022 electoral defeat.

The supreme court convicted Bolsonaro on Thursday, September 11 with his legal team preparing to file an appeal while his son, a lawmaker, seeks amnesty for his father from the Brazilian Congress.

According to sources, the sentencing is said to have come after four of the five justices reviewed Bolsonaro case in a panel and found him guilty on five counts with one of the charges stemming from accusation that he had a plot to kill the now President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, better known as Lula after his win.

Jair Messias Bolsonaro, Brazil’s president from 2019 to 2022 has strongly denied all the charges against him, calling the whole procedure that led to the conviction that he did not attend a politically fabricated witch-hunt.

Bolsonaro has currently been placed under house arrest in Brasilia until he can appeal to the sentence of 27 years and 3 months in prison with his lawyers appealing that he should stay in house arrest rather than be placed in prison.

He now faces charges to spend the rest of his life in prison or under house arrest, which authorities insist prevented him from fleeing the country, accusations that he strenuously denied of having any intention of ever doing.

The United States Donald Trump while speaking to reporters as he departed the White House has expressed his disappointment in the conviction of the former Brazil president noting that he is very unhappy within the conviction and the act is very bad for Brazil.

“ I don't see that happening." Trump stated, noting that he knew Bolsonaro as a good president of Brazil and a good man.

Trump further criticized the Brazilian judicial system and threatened more tariffs on the South American country upping his 50% imposed tariffs on the country for its persecution of Bolsonaro.

Meanwhile the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in a post on X on Thursday, that U.S. will soon be responding to the witch hunt which was carried out by sanctioned human rights abuser,  Alexandre de Moraes who continues along with others on Brazil's supreme court to have unjustly ruled to imprisoning former President Jair Bolsonaro.

The political persecutions by sanctioned human rights abuser Alexandre de Moraes continue, as he and others on Brazil's supreme court have unjustly ruled to imprison former President Jair Bolsonaro.

The United States will respond accordingly to this witch hunt.

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) September 11, 2025

In response to Mark Rubio, the Brazil Foreign Ministry has called Rubio’s comments on X a threat and an attack on Brazil’s authority as he ignores all the compelling facts and evidence  that led the court to the decision. Citing that Brazil’s Freedom and Democracy will not be intimidated by the United States.

Bolsonaro, the ultra-conservative politician, had also been banned in a separate case from running for office until 2030 and is now expected to choose an heir who is likely to challenge Lula next year.