BRASILIA, Brazil: In a landmark determination, Brazil’s Supreme Court has convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro on September 11, 2025, sentencing him to 27 years and three months in jail for his position in an tried coup after shedding the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Four of the 5 justices on a particular panel discovered him responsible on 5 costs: conspiracy to stage a coup, membership in an armed felony group, tried violent abolition of democratic rule, violent injury to state property, and deterioration of heritage property.
Despite the robust majority, Justice Luiz Fux dissented — the identical decide who, earlier within the trial, had voted to acquit Bolsonaro on all counts.
Fux’s Dissenting Opinion: Key Arguments
In his dissent, Fux argued:
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The proof offered by prosecutors did not show a coordinated plan ample to quantity to a coup. He emphasised that mere intention (“cogitation”) shouldn’t be sufficient.
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He raised doubts about whether or not the Supreme Court had correct jurisdiction to strive the case, since Bolsonaro was now not in workplace.
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He additionally questioned whether or not the protection had been given enough time, and steered procedural issues in together with a number of the co-defendants.
Co‑Defendants and Sentences
Besides Bolsonaro, a number of of his associates have been additionally convicted and obtained important sentences.
Some of the others sentenced embody:
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Mauro Cid (former aide‑de‑camp): 2 years (in a extra open regime)
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Walter Braga Netto (former chief of employees / Defence Minister): ~26 years
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Other navy and authorities officers additionally obtained sentences starting from about 16 to 26 years, relying on their position.
Political and Legal Fallout
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Bolsonaro stays underneath home arrest and has denied the costs. He has declared plans to attraction the choice.
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He is now disqualified from holding elected workplace till 2030 underneath prior rulings — the brand new sentence additional cements challenges for any return to energy.
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The case is being seen by many as a turning level in Brazil’s democracy: it marks the primary time a former Brazilian president has been convicted for trying to overturn democratic governance.
Why the Case Matters
This determination carries big symbolic and sensible weight:
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It units a precedent for accountability on the highest ranges of presidency.
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It could reshape political alignments and power Bolsonaro’s motion to discover a successor.
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It provides gas to already intense polarization in Brazil.
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Despite the conviction, his affect stays; many proper‑wing supporters see the trial as politically motivated
