Brazil's former president Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years for plotting attempted coup

The former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison after being found guilty of attempting a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election.

A panel of Brazilian Supreme Court judges handed Bolsonaro the sentence on Thursday in a ruling set to deepen political divisions. US President Donald Trump has previously called Bolsonaro’s legal proceedings as “a witch hunt”.

Four of five judges found Bolsonaro guilty of leading a coup aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 to left-wing rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. One voted to acquit him.

The 70-year-old former president is currently under house arrest as per an order from Justice Alexandre de Moraes on 5 August for violating a ban on political messaging.

Bolsonaro’s lawyers called the sentence "absurdly excessive" and pledged to file appeals. The former president, who has denied any wrongdoing, has not attended the court hearing in person, instead electing to send his lawyers in his place.

The trial has been followed by a divided society, with people backing the process against Bolsonaro, while others still support him. Some have taken to the streets to back the far-right leader and call for his immediate acquittal.

Bolsonaro’s trial got renewed attention after Trump linked a 50% tariff on imported Brazilian goods to his ally’s legal situation. Observers say Washington might announce new sanctions against Brazil after the trial, further straining their already fragile diplomatic relations.

Justice de Moraes, who is overseeing the case, said on Tuesday that Bolsonaro was the leader of a coup plot and of a criminal organisation, and voted in favour of convicting him.

Despite his legal woes, Bolsonaro remains a powerful political player in Brazil.

The far-right politician had been previously banned from running for office until 2030 in a separate case. He is expected to choose an heir who is likely to challenge incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva next year.

The ruling may push Bolsonaro’s allied lawmakers, and his three lawmaker sons, to seek some amnesty for him through Congress.