Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro started serving a 27-year prison sentence Tuesday for leading a coup attempt, surprising many who doubted the far-right leader would face incarceration.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the case, ruled Bolsonaro will remain in custody after being preemptively arrested Saturday. Supporters and critics gathered outside the federal police headquarters, some demanding his release and others celebrating his imprisonment.
Bolsonaro had been under house arrest since August but was taken into custody after attempting to remove his ankle monitor. The former president claimed “hallucinations” prompted the act, a claim dismissed by de Moraes. Bolsonaro is confined in a 12-square-meter room with a bed, private bathroom, TV, desk, air conditioning, and access to his doctors and lawyers; other visitors require Supreme Court approval.
De Moraes stated that Bolsonaro’s legal team had exhausted all appeals, though the defense promised to continue seeking house arrest citing health concerns. Under Brazilian law, the 70-year-old could have been moved to a local penitentiary or military facility.
Bolsonaro and several allies were convicted of attempting to overthrow Brazil’s democracy after his 2022 election defeat. Charges included planning to assassinate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and Justice de Moraes, leading an armed criminal organization, and attempting the violent abolition of democratic rule. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing.
Outside the prison, Bolsonaro supporters protested and called for amnesty, while detractors, including marches in Brasilia, celebrated.
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Other convicted officials, including Army generals Augusto Heleno and Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, were sent to military facilities, and former Justice Minister Anderson Torres to the Papuda penitentiary. Former head of intelligence Alexandre Ramagem remains in the U.S., with his parliamentary seat stripped by the lower house speaker.
Despite being barred from office until at least 2030, Bolsonaro remains influential in Brazilian politics. Polls indicate he would remain a competitive candidate if eligible. Bolsonaro is also an ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who criticized the trial as a “witch hunt.”
While previous Brazilian presidents, including Michel Temer and Lula, have served prison time, Bolsonaro is the first convicted for attempting a coup.
Source: AP