Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years, 3 months for plotting coup

Former president Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced on 12 September 2025 to 27 years and three months in prison after Brazil’s Supreme Court found him guilty of leading a conspiracy to remain in power following his 2022 election defeat.

A five-justice panel delivered the verdict and sentence hours after convicting Bolsonaro on charges tied to his attempts to overturn the 2022 election. Four justices voted to convict and one voted to acquit. The panel also barred Bolsonaro from holding public office until 2060, eight years after the end of his sentence.

Bolsonaro, placed under house arrest as a flight risk, did not attend the sentencing in person. His lawyers called the sentence “absurdly excessive” and said they would file appeals and ask that he remain under house arrest rather than be sent to prison. Legal experts noted appeals may be difficult because they typically require at least two justices to have voted to acquit.

Prosecutors said Bolsonaro was guilty of five charges connected to efforts to cling to power after losing to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, including proposing a coup to military commanders, spreading baseless doubts about the electoral system, and being aware of plans to assassinate Lula, Lula’s running mate, and a Supreme Court justice. The justices found he led a conspiracy that failed to secure sufficient military support but culminated in the 8 January 2023 storming of government buildings by his supporters; more than 1,500 people were arrested after order was restored.

Seven co-defendants were also convicted, including senior military officers, two former defence ministers, a former spy chief and a former security minister.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the trial, said Brazil had come close to returning to authoritarian rule and cast a guilty vote. Justice Cármen Lúcia, who provided the decisive third guilty vote, compared the attempted coup to a “virus” threatening society. Justice Luiz Fux was the sole dissenter; in an 11-hour speech he argued the accusations were unfounded and voted to acquit.

International reaction included statements from U.S. figures: former President Donald Trump called the verdict “very surprising” and compared it to actions against him, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the court had “unjustly ruled to imprison” Bolsonaro and threatened a response. Brazil’s foreign ministry posted on X that such threats “will not intimidate our democracy,” saying the statements ignored the evidence on record.

Bolsonaro, 70, faces the prospect of serving the sentence in prison; his lawyers are expected to continue seeking alternative detention and pursue appeals.