Jair Bolsonaro Found Guilty of Coup Plot; Pressure Intensifies

Sat Sep 13 2025 07:05:42 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A significant legal ruling against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro marks a pivotal moment in Brazil's political landscape, as a Supreme Court justice declares him guilty of attempting to orchestrate a coup following his 2022 election loss.

Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil, has been found guilty by a Supreme Court justice of plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election. Justice Alexandre de Moraes stated there was substantial evidence of a coup attempt, indicating that Bolsonaro led a criminal organization aimed at overturning the election results. While the final conviction depends on a majority ruling from five justices, Bolsonaro faces a potential sentence exceeding 40 years in prison. The trial has sparked deep divisions within Brazilian society, further polarizing supporters and critics of the ex-president.

Pressure mounts on Bolsonaro as first of five judges finds him guilty

The first of five Supreme Court justices who will decide the fate of the former Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, has found the ex-leader guilty of plotting a coup.

But Bolsonaro will only be convicted if at least three out of the five justices find him guilty.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes said there was no doubt that there had been a coup attempt after Bolsonaro lost the 2022 presidential election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Moraes also said that Bolsonaro had led the criminal organization which he alleged was behind the attempted coup. Bolsonaro has denied all the charges.

If convicted, Bolsonaro - who governed Brazil from January 2019 to December 2022 - could face a lengthy sentence of more than 40 years in prison.

The charges against Bolsonaro are extremely serious and Justice Moraes - who had been widely expected to convict Bolsonaro - did not hold back in the summary of his decision.

The former president and his seven co-defendants - some of whom are top military officers - stand accused of trying to prevent President-elect Lula from taking up office.

The seven co-defendants have also denied the charges. Speaking in court on Tuesday, Justice Moraes provided alarming evidence of a plot to harm Lula and others.

The plan, codenamed Operation Green and Yellow Dagger, was discussed even in the presidential palace while Bolsonaro was in office.

Despite efforts to garner military support for the coup, it ultimately led to a violent attack by Bolsonaro supporters on Congress and the Supreme Court in January 2023.

Moraes remarked that Brazil had narrowly avoided falling back into an authoritarian regime and emphasized the significant breach of constitutional norms led by Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro's absence from court was attributed to health issues stemming from an earlier assassination attempt. His legal team claims the trial is politically motivated, aiming to block his candidacy in the 2026 elections, despite existing bans on his public office candidacy until 2030.

The trial has exacerbated political divisions in Brazil, with Bolsonaro's supporters claiming bias in the judiciary, whereas critics stress the need for decisive action to protect democracy.