Brazil’s Supreme Court orders Jair Bolsonaro to begin prison sentence

Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered erstwhile President Jair Bolsonaro to statesman serving his 27-year situation sentence, aft his defence squad declined to record a 2nd appeal.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a starring fig successful the proceedings against Bolsonaro, made the announcement connected Tuesday.

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The tribunal indicated Bolsonaro would statesman his condemnation astatine the Federal Police office successful the superior Brasilia, wherever helium is presently being held.

In September, Bolsonaro was convicted of plotting to signifier a coup, successful bid to clasp powerfulness aft his decision successful the 2022 statesmanlike election.

He was recovered blameworthy of trying to subvert the antiauthoritarian regularisation of law, attempting a coup, participating successful an equipped conspiracy, causing harm to nationalist spot and contributing to the deterioration of a listed nationalist practice site.

He was sentenced to 27 years and 3 months successful prison. But that condemnation did not statesman immediately, to let for appeals.

Bolsonaro disputes defeat

A subordinate of Brazil’s far-right Liberal Party, known by the acronym PL, Bolsonaro was a erstwhile service skipper who served astir 27 years successful the Chamber of Deputies earlier becoming president.

He led the state from 2019 to 2023. But critics accused him of manipulating his bureau to undermine Brazil’s voting system, and successful June 2023, aft helium near office, Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court ruled helium had abused his power.

Bolsonaro ran for re-election successful the 2022 race, but successful a run-off vote, helium was narrowly defeated by left-wing person Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The right-wing leader, however, refused to publically concede his loss, though media reports indicated helium whitethorn person done truthful successful backstage successful a gathering with the Supreme Court.

Instead, Bolsonaro and his allies filed a ineligible situation arguing the predetermination results were riddled with “discrepancies”.

De Moraes, astatine the time, rejected the complaint, citing its “total lack of immoderate evidence” and “bad faith” arguments. He besides fined Bolsonaro’s squad astir $4.3m.

Meanwhile, Bolsonaro’s supporters held protests astir the country, blocking highways and attacking constabulary headquarters successful Brasilia.

The unrest came to a climax connected January 8, 2023, a week aft Lula was sworn in. Bolsonaro had concisely near the country, but his supporters converged connected the Three Powers Plaza successful Brasilia and stormed authorities buildings.

The riot precipitated respective national investigations. And successful November 2024, the national constabulary issued an 884-page report detailing grounds they said showed Bolsonaro and his allies had conspired to overturn the predetermination results.

Recordings and grounds indicated that Bolsonaro and his codefendants had hoped to punctual a subject uprising to forestall Lula from taking powerfulness and unit caller elections.

Some subject officers allied with Bolsonaro adjacent suggested a crippled to poison Lula and sprout de Moraes, according to the constabulary findings.

A formation risk?

In February, prosecutors formally charged Bolsonaro, who was subsequently brought to trial.

But Bolsonaro’s defence repeatedly framed the charges arsenic a governmental manoeuvre, and the ex-president himself has maintained his innocence.

United States President Donald Trump has besides sought to unit the Brazilian authorities to driblet the case, imposing 50-percent tariffs connected immoderate of the country’s exports and calling the proceedings a “witch hunt”.

Since August, Bolsonaro has been nether location apprehension for fearfulness helium mightiness effort an flight abroad. Already, successful 2024, helium had spent respective nights successful the Hungarian embassy, stirring reports helium could person been seeking diplomatic sanctuary with the authorities of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Police besides recovered a missive reportedly addressed to Argentinian President Javier Milei, wherein Bolsonaro had claimed helium was being persecuted and appealed for governmental asylum.

Earlier this month, Brazil’s Supreme Court rejected Bolsonaro’s appeal to overturn his situation sentence.

His defence squad has since petitioned for the 27-year condemnation to beryllium served nether location arrest connected humanitarian grounds. Bolsonaro was stabbed connected the run way successful 2018, and helium continues to endure from abdominal problems.

But connected Saturday, helium was abruptly taken into constabulary custody aft helium was recovered to person tampered with his ankle monitor.

Bolsonaro reportedly told a tribunal officer that the medications helium was taking near him feeling paranoid and had “hallucinatory” broadside effects. He denied being a formation risk.

De Moraes, however, signalled determination were “very superior indications of a imaginable effort to flee”.