Brazil to rule on Bolsonaro coup case in Sept

Brazil’s Supreme Court has announced it will hold special sessions from 2 September to determine whether former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro is guilty of plotting a coup following his 2022 election defeat.

If convicted, Bolsonaro could face up to 40 years in prison.

The hearings are scheduled for September 2, 3, 9, 10, and 12. The case centers on accusations that Bolsonaro attempted to seize power after losing to current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. 

Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasília on 8 January 2023, just a week after Lula’s inauguration, alleging electoral fraud.

Prosecutors argue that Bolsonaro led an armed criminal organization that orchestrated the attempted coup. His defense team maintains there is no evidence to convict him, insisting that he authorized the peaceful transfer of power to Lula.

A key part of the prosecution’s case relies on testimony from Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro’s former aide, who entered a plea agreement. Defense lawyers have questioned the validity of this deal and criticized the credibility of his statements.

The trial has sparked tensions with the United States. Former US president Donald Trump condemned the proceedings as a political witch hunt and responded by imposing sanctions on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the case.

Trump also signed an executive order introducing a 50% tariff on several Brazilian imports, citing political persecution of Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro, who governed Brazil from 2019 to 2022, has repeatedly denied any role in coup planning and is currently under house arrest in Brasília for violating a social media ban.