Supreme Court Imposes Prison Sentence on Ex-President Bolsonaro for Coup Attempt

The Brazilian Supreme Court has delivered a 27-year, 3-month prison sentence to former President Jair Bolsonaro. The conviction relates to a plot to destabilize the government following his defeat in the 2022 elections, targeting the administration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. A majority of the court’s justices found Bolsonaro guilty of orchestrating the coup attempt. The court factored in Bolsonaro’s age and health in determining the length of the sentence, which was less than the maximum possible term. Bolsonaro is currently under house arrest and will appeal the court’s ruling to the full Supreme Court. The attempted coup sought to prevent Lula from assuming the presidency.