Coup Plot: Popular Former President Jailed for 27 Years

For every offence, there is a consequence, especially in a country where democracy exists and is being practiced to the satisfaction of the citizens.

Coup plot is a massive offence in today’s democratic world, where many civilians have resisted such practices in many countries in the world. This is the case of the former president and a close ally of the United States President, Donald Trump. Click to continue reading.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced on Thursday to 27 years and three months in prison, just hours after being convicted of plotting a coup to remain in power following his 2022 election defeat.

The ruling delivers a powerful rebuke to one of the world’s most prominent far-right populist leaders.

A panel of five Supreme Court justices voted on both the conviction and the sentence, making Bolsonaro, 70, the first former president in Brazil’s history to be convicted for attacking democracy. The decision also sparked disapproval from the Trump administration in Washington.

“This criminal case is almost a meeting between Brazil and its past, its present and its future,” Justice Carmen Lucia said in her vote to convict, noting Bolsonaro acted “with the purpose of eroding democracy and institutions.”

Four of the five justices found him guilty of five crimes: participating in an armed criminal organization; attempting to violently abolish democracy; organizing a coup; and damaging government property and protected cultural assets.

The former army captain, who has long expressed admiration for Brazil’s 1964–85 military dictatorship, now joins a list of far-right leaders facing legal condemnation this year, including France’s Marine Le Pen and the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte.

The conviction has infuriated Bolsonaro’s ally, U.S. President Donald Trump, who had earlier denounced the case as a “witch hunt.” In retaliation, Trump imposed tariff hikes on Brazil, sanctioned the presiding judge, and revoked visas for most of the high court justices. Reacting to the verdict on Thursday, Trump again praised Bolsonaro, calling it “a terrible thing” and adding: “I think it’s very bad for Brazil.”

From the U.S., Bolsonaro’s son, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, told Reuters he expected Trump to impose further sanctions against Brazil and its judiciary. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the criticism, saying on X that the court had “unjustly ruled” and warning: “The United States will respond accordingly.”

Brazil’s Foreign Ministry condemned Rubio’s remarks as a threat that “attacks Brazilian authority and ignores the facts and the compelling evidence in the records.” President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also brushed off the prospect of U.S. sanctions, saying in a local TV interview hours before the verdict that “Brazilian democracy will not be intimidated.”

The decision was not unanimous. Justice Luiz Fux voted to acquit Bolsonaro of all charges, questioning the court’s jurisdiction. His dissent could provide grounds for appeals, potentially delaying the case’s conclusion and pushing it closer to the October 2026 presidential election.

Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest, has repeatedly vowed to run in 2026 despite being barred from holding office. His lawyers called the sentencing “absurdly excessive” and said they would file appeals.

The conviction marks the lowest point in Bolsonaro’s dramatic political rise—from the backbenches of Congress to building a powerful conservative coalition that strained Brazil’s young democratic institutions.