Bolsonaro ordered to begin 27-year prison sentence for alleged Brazil coup plot

Brazil’s Supreme Court has ruled that former president Jair Bolsonaro must immediately begin serving a 27-year and three-month prison sentence after being found guilty of plotting to overturn the results of the 2022 presidential election. The decision, issued on Tuesday by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, confirms that the case has reached its final judgment and that Bolsonaro has no remaining avenues for appeal.

The 70-year-old former leader was convicted in September of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping himself in power after losing the election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. According to court findings, the plan involved attempts to mobilise military support, undermine the electoral process, and pave the way for a coup. Justices said Bolsonaro had been aware of discussions within his circle about assassinating Lula and his running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, as well as detaining and executing Justice Moraes, who oversaw the investigation.

Bolsonaro has been held in a federal police detention facility in Brasília since Saturday after authorities declared him a flight risk. He had been under home detention but was removed after a court document revealed he attempted to open his electronic ankle monitor using a soldering iron. Bolsonaro told the court he had acted out of “medicine-induced paranoia” and denied any intention to flee.

Justice Moraes has ordered that Bolsonaro receive full time medical care, citing concerns raised by his medical team about his worsening health. The former president has undergone several operations in recent years and has repeatedly reported abdominal pain linked to an old stabbing injury.

The court’s ruling also highlighted the violent aftermath of Bolsonaro’s election defeat. One week after Lula took office on 1 January 2023, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasília, causing widespread damage and prompting a major security response. Around 1,500 people were detained. Supreme Court justices concluded that Bolsonaro had incited the unrest and expected the chaos to trigger military intervention that would keep him in power.

In addition to his prison sentence, Bolsonaro has been banned from running for public office until 2060, effectively ending any possibility of a political comeback. He has dismissed the case as a politically motivated “witch hunt” intended to remove him from the 2026 presidential race.

Justice Moraes on Tuesday also instructed that several of Bolsonaro’s alleged co-conspirators begin serving their own sentences. Among them are General Augusto Heleno, his former institutional security minister, and General Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de Oliveira, the former defence minister. Both were accused of participating in efforts to undermine the election result and support plans for a coup.

The Supreme Court’s decision marks a decisive moment in Brazil’s recent political history, cementing the judiciary’s stance that attempts to subvert democratic institutions will face severe consequences. The ruling continues to generate strong reactions across Brazil’s political landscape, with supporters calling it justice and critics accusing the court of overreach.