Brazilian Supreme Court Sentences Jair Bolsonaro to 27 Years for Attempted Coup

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro stands at the entrance of his home where he is under house arrest in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced Thursday to 27 years and three months in prison after the Supreme Court convicted him of attempting a coup to stay in power following his 2022 election loss.

Bolsonaro, 70, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, remains under house arrest in Brasília and can appeal the ruling. The sentence makes him the first former Brazilian president convicted of attempting to overthrow democracy.

Four of the five justices on the court panel found Bolsonaro guilty on five counts, while Justice Luiz Fux dissented. Justice Cármen Lúcia said the evidence was overwhelming. “He is the instigator, the leader of an organization that orchestrated every possible move to maintain or seize power,” she declared.

The court now has up to 60 days to publish the ruling, after which Bolsonaro’s lawyers will have five days to file motions for clarification. His legal team has vowed to appeal to the full Supreme Court of 11 justices.

The conviction triggered swift international fallout. The U.S. government immediately criticized the decision, with President Donald Trump calling Bolsonaro “outstanding” and expressing that he was “very unhappy” with the ruling. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted that the United States would “respond accordingly to this witch hunt.” Washington had already imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods, explicitly linking it to Bolsonaro’s trial. Analysts warn further sanctions may follow.

Inside Brazil, the trial has deepened divisions. Supporters of Bolsonaro call the case political persecution, while others view the conviction as essential to preserving democratic order. His eldest son, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, called the ruling “supreme persecution,” while his brother, lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, pushed for amnesty through Congress. Former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro posted, “There is a God in heaven who sees everything, who loves justice and hates iniquity.”

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the case, accused Bolsonaro of leading a coup plot and a criminal organization. During the proceedings, he played videos of Bolsonaro encouraging crowds between 2021 and 2023 to turn against the Supreme Court, as well as footage of the destruction inside its headquarters during the January 8, 2023 riots.

Bolsonaro faced five charges, including attempting to stage a coup, leading an armed criminal organization, attempted violent abolition of democratic rule, and endangering state property and heritage. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his political rival, said Thursday, “Bolsonaro attempted a coup in this country, and there are hundreds of pieces of evidence.”

Despite his conviction and a separate ban preventing him from running for office until 2030, Bolsonaro remains a dominant political force. Allies expect him to name a political successor to challenge Lula in next year’s elections, and many lawmakers are already discussing the possibility of congressional amnesty.