Jair Bolsonaro

Brazil's ex-Prez Jair Bolsonaro begins serving 27-year prison sentence

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro started on Tuesday to serve his 27-year prison sentence for leading a coup attempt designed to keep him in office after losing the 2022 presidential elections, a move that many in the South American nation doubted would ever take place. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has overseen the case, ruled Bolsonaro will remain at the same federal police headquarters where he has been since he was preemptively arrested on Saturday for being considered a flight risk. Brazil's criminal law also could have allowed the 70-year-old to be transferred to a local penitentiary or to a prison room in a military facility in capital Brasilia. The Supreme Court justice considered that Bolsonaro's defence had exhausted all appeals of his conviction on Monday. His lawyers wanted him to be on house arrest due to his poor health. The embattled leader had been under house arrest since August when de Moraes first mentioned he could escape. The far-right

Hallucinations led me to breach ankle monitoring, causing arrest: Bolsonaro

On his first full day in jail, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro told a judge on Sunday he had violated his ankle monitoring the day before at his house arrest because of a nervous breakdown and hallucinations caused by a change in his medication. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the 70-year-old leader's preemptive jailing Saturday for he is considered a flight risk. Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison in September for attempting a coup to remain in the presidency after his 2022 electoral defeat. "(Bolsonaro) said he had hallucinations' that there was some wire tap in the ankle monitoring, so he tried to uncover it," assistant judge Luciana Sorrentino said, as reported in a Supreme Court document published on Sunday shortly after her online meeting with the former president. Sorrentino added that Bolsonaro told her he "did not remember having a breakdown of this magnitude in another occasion," and speculated it might have been caused by a change in

Bolsonaro's conviction brings justice to those who lost loved ones to Covid

Simone Guimaraes, a retired 52-year-old teacher in Rio de Janeiro, lost at least five relatives to COVID-19: her husband, sister, two brothers-in-law and the godfather of her grandchild. She also lost friends and neighbours. She woke to the news on Saturday that Brazil's Supreme Court ordered the preemptive arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro, whom she blames for her losses. A judge claimed Bolsonaro was intent on escaping days before he was set to begin a 27-year prison sentence for attempting a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. It's a small beginning of justice starting to be served," she said. Impunity has to end at some point. And in his case, we endured a lot." Social media filled with posts Saturday remembering people lost to COVID-19, which also happened in September when the Supreme Court convicted Bolsonaro, even though the legal case had nothing to do with the former president's pandemic response. Guimaraes followed every

Judge orders Bolsonaro's arrest for plotting escape ahead of prison term

Brazil's federal police arrested former President Jair Bolsonaro preemptively on Saturday, days before he was set to begin his 27-year prison sentence for leading a coup attempt, officials said. A close aide said the embattled former leader was taken to the police force headquarters in the capital, Brasilia. The force said in a short statement, which did not name Bolsonaro, that it acted on the request of Brazil's Supreme Court. Neither Brazil's federal police nor the Supreme Court provided more details. Bolsonaro's aide Andriely Cirino confirmed to The Associated Press that the arrest took place around 6 am on Saturday. The 70-year-old former president was taken from his house in a gated community in the upscale Jardim Botanico neighbourhood to the federal police headquarters, Cirino said. Local media reported that Bolsonaro, who was Brazil's president from 2019 to 2022, was expected to begin serving his sentence sometime next week after the far-right leader exhausted all appeal

Brazil's ex-Prez Bolsonaro seeks house arrest for prison time citing health

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro's lawyers on Friday petitioned the Supreme Court requesting that he serve his prison time under house arrest, citing poor health. Bolsonaro was convicted in September of attempting a coup following his 2022 electoral defeat and was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected an appeal from his legal team, though another is expected to come this week. He has been under house arrest since August after the Supreme Court ruled he violated precautionary measures imposed on him. The former president still has not begun serving his sentence in the coup attempt trial. The lawyers said that Bolsonaro's medical reports show he needs strict checking of his blood pressure and heart rate, regular tests and specific medications, in addition to frequent visits from multiple specialists, including a cardiologist, pulmonologist and gastroenterologist. If the petitioner is sent to prison, his ..

US sanctions wife of Brazilian judge over Bolsonaro case, revokes visas

The US government has sanctioned the wife of the Brazilian Supreme Court justice who led the investigation into former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced this month to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup in the South American nation. The Trump administration also revoked the US visa of another Brazilian official, Solicitor-General Jorge Messias, who criticized the decision on his social media channels. The wife of Justice Alexandre de Moraes, Viviane Barci de Moraes, was sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Act used by the United States against human rights abusers. Her husband was targeted by the same measure as he oversaw the case against Bolsonaro. This is the latest chapter in a unilateral wave of attacks from the Trump administration against Brazil, which includes sanctions against other authorities and tariffs of 50% on many of the country's exports to the U.S. Local media also reported that other judges who worked with de Moraes at the Supreme Court had also l

Brazilians protest bill that may pardon Bolsonaro, allies convicted of coup

Brazilians held protests in all 26 states and the Federal District on Sunday against a possible pardon for former President Jair Bolsonaro and his allies, who were convicted of attempting a coup. Calls for demonstrations grew after the lower house on Tuesday passed a constitutional amendment that would make it harder to arrest or launch criminal proceedings against lawmakers. The measure now heads to the Senate. The following day the lower house voted to fast-track a bill backed by right-wing opposition lawmakers that could grant amnesty to Bolsonaro, his closest allies and hundreds of supporters convicted for their roles in the January 2023 uprising. Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison on Sept. 11 for attempting to stay in power after losing a 2022 reelection bid. He is the first former president convicted of trying to overturn an election in Latin America's largest economy. Bolsonaro denied any wrongdoing. Some of Brazil's most prominent artists helped

Brazil braces for new US sanctions after Bolsonaro conviction angers Trump

Brazil braced Friday for possible new US sanctions linked to former President Jair Bolsonaro's conviction on coup charges, after the administration of President Donald Trump warned it would respond "accordingly." Trump said he was "very unhappy" with the conviction, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on his X account that the US government would "respond accordingly to this witch hunt." Brazil's Foreign Ministry called Rubio's comments an inappropriate threat that would not intimidate the government, adding that the country's judiciary is independent and that Bolsonaro was granted due process. "Threats like the one made today by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a statement that attacks Brazilian authority and ignores the facts and compelling evidence in the case files, will not intimidate our democracy," Brazil's foreign office said on X. Sen Rogrio Carvalho, the government leader in the Senate, told The Associated Press in a phone interview Friday that the administrat

Brazil's top court jails Bolsonaro for more than 27 years over coup attempt

A panel of Brazilian Supreme Court justices sentenced former president Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison Thursday after convicting him of attempting a coup to remain in office despite his 2022 electoral defeat. Bolsonaro, who has always denied any wrongdoing, is currently under house arrest in Brasilia. He can appeal the ruling. Four of the five justices reviewing the case in the panel found the far-right politician guilty on five counts, in a ruling that will deepen political divisions and likely prompt a backlash from the United States government. It makes Bolsonaro is the first former Brazilian president to be convicted of attempting a coup. US President Donald Trump said that he was very unhappy with the conviction. Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House, he said he always found Bolsonaro to be outstanding. The conviction, he added, is very bad for Brazil. Bolsonaro can appeal ruling The sentence doesn't mean he will immediately go to prison

Brazil SC judge breaks with two peers, votes to absolve Bolsonaro

A Brazilian Supreme Court justice voted Wednesday to acquit former president Jair Bolsonaro of all charges in his alleged coup trial, in the first dissenting vote since the final judicial proceeding began, giving some respite to the far-right leader and potential arguments to his defence team for an appeal after a final verdict. The 70-year-old ex-leader faces a five-member panel of justices who started voting Tuesday on accusations he attempted to illegally hang onto power after his 2022 electoral defeat to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Two justices have already voted to convict him. Prosecutors charged Bolsonaro with five counts: attempting to stage a coup, armed criminal organization, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, damage characterised by violence and a serious threat against the state's assets and deterioration of listed heritage. Despite Wednesday's vote by Justice Luiz Fux, the ex-leader could still be found guilty in the coming days,

Bolsonaro backers rally before verdict as Lula asserts sovereignty

Tens of thousands of supporters of Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro took to the streets on Sunday, the country's Independence Day, to rally against the Supreme Court ahead of its verdict this week in their leader's alleged coup trial. On Saturday evening, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Brazil will not accept foreign influence in its domestic affairs, in yet another reference to persistent criticism and sanctions imposed on his country by his American counterpart Donald Trump. In recent years, Bolsonaro's allies have turned September 7 into an annual show of political force. Lula sought to turn the focus of this year's Independence Day to sovereignty. Crowds dressed in yellow and green once again gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and the capital Brasilia to back Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest ahead of his verdict. Their favourite target was Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the rapporteur of the case. Bolsonaro is standing trial for allegedly ..

Brazil's Supreme Court orders house arrest for ex-President Jair Bolsonaro

Brazil's Supreme Court on Monday ordered the house arrest for former President Jair Bolsonaro, on trial for allegedly leading a coup attempt after losing the 2022 election. The court's Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued the order, saying in his decision that Bolsonaro had violated the precautionary measures imposed on him by posting content on his son's social media channels. Prosecutors accuse Bolsonaro of heading a criminal organisation that plotted to overturn the election, including plans to kill President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva and a Supreme Court justice. Monday's order followed one from the top court last month that ordered Bolsonaro wear an electronic ankle monitor and imposed a curfew on his activities while the proceedings are underway. The latest decision keeps the far-right leader under ankle monitoring, allows only family members and lawyers to visit him and seizes all mobile phones from his home in Rio de Janeiro.

Open to US trade talks if Brazil treated as an equal, says Lula da Silva

'We want to negotiate. We want to negotiate on equal terms,' Lula said Sunday at an event for his leftist Workers' Party in Brasilia

Brazil's top court defies Trump, signals no retreat on Bolsonaro probe

To the majority of the court's members, the Bolsonaro case is part of a larger fight to safeguard a relatively young democracy

What to know about trial of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro will wear an electronic ankle monitor on orders from the Supreme Court, where he is on trial for allegedly masterminding a coup plot to remain in office despite his defeat in the 2022 election. The case received renewed attention after President Donald Trump directly tied a 50% tariff on Brazilian imported goods to Bolsonaro's judicial situation, which Trump called a witch hunt. The Supreme Court's order for Bolsonaro to wear an ankle monitor, among other restrictions, came after Federal Police and prosecutors said Bolsonaro is a flight risk. Authorities, listing multiple social media posts, also accused Bolsonaro of working with his son Eduardo to incite the United States to interfere in the trial and impose sanctions against Brazilian officials. On Friday, the US State Department announced visa restrictions on Brazilian judicial officials, prompting President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to condemn what he called the unacceptable interference

Trump pressures Brazil to drop charges against Bolsonaro; Lula hits back

In a letter addressed to Bolsonaro, Trump described him as a victim of terrible treatment and demanded that the trial against the former president end immediately

Brazilian ex-Prez Bolsonaro out of intensive care but still hospitalised

Brazilian ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, who continues to recover after undergoing bowel surgery, has left intensive care, his doctors said Thursday. The medical team at the DF Star Hospital in Brasilia said that he left intensive care on Wednesday and there is no set discharge date from the facility. His health condition is stable and he has begun receiving a liquid diet. Bolsonaro underwent a 12-hour surgery on April 13 to remove intestinal adhesions and reconstruct the abdominal wall. It was the sixth procedure related to long-term effects of being stabbed in the abdomen during a campaign rally in September 2018. He has been in and out of hospitals since the attack and underwent multiple surgeries during his presidency from 2019-2022. Doctors described the latest surgery as the most complex since the stabbing, requiring a very delicate and prolonged post-surgery. Bolsonaro was admitted with severe abdominal pain to a hospital in Santa Cruz, a small city in Rio Grande do Norte, on

Brazilian judges accept charges against Bolsonaro allies in coup plot

A panel of Brazil's Supreme Court justices unanimously accepted criminal charges Tuesday against six more key allies of former President Jair Bolsonaro over an alleged coup plot to keep him in office after his 2022 election defeat. Last month, the panel unanimously accepted charges against Bolsonaro and seven close allies over the alleged coup plot following his loss to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and ordered the former right wing leader to stand trial. When Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet accused Bolsonaro and 33 others of attempting a coup, he divided them into five different groups, based on their roles and positions in the alleged plot. Bolsonaro and his closest allies, including running mate Gen. Braga Netto, were placed in the core group, according to the charges. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court panel reviewed charges against the second group, which Gonet said held managerial roles. The second group includes former presidential foreign affairs adviser Filipe ...

Brazil's Bolsonaro to face trial over coup plan; here's what happens next

A panel of Brazil Supreme Court justices unanimously ruled that former President Jair Bolsonaro and seven of his associates will stand trial on five counts, including attempting to stage a coup after the far-right leader lost the 2022 election. The panel will review existing evidence, potentially gather new evidence and hear testimonies. Legal experts estimate that Bolsonaro could be sentenced to up to 40 years in prison, though his actual jail time if convicted would be less than that due to procedural considerations. Here's what to know about what will happen after Wednesday's ruling: What charges does Bolsonaro face? Bolsonaro will stand trial on the counts of attempting to stage a coup, involvement in an armed criminal organization, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, damage characterized by violence and a serious threat against the state's assets, and deterioration of listed heritage. The five-justices panel of Brazil's Supreme Court ruled based on th

Brazil SC orders ex-Prez Bolsonaro to stand trial over alleged coup plan

A panel of justices on Brazil's Supreme Court has accepted charges against former President Jair Bolsonaro over an alleged attempt to stay in office after his 2022 election defeat, and they have ordered the former leader to stand trial. All five justices ruled in favour of accepting the charges levelled by Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet. Last month, Gonet charged Bolsonaro and 33 others of attempting a coup that included a plan to poison his successor and current President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva and kill a Supreme Court judge. The former president has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. Coup charges alone carry a penalty of up to 12 years. Combined with other crimes Bolsonaro is charged with, he could be sentenced to decades in prison if convicted.