Brazil - September 2025
Former President Jair Bolsonaro and allies are convicted for coup attempt
On 11 September, the first panel of the Supreme Court of Brazil (STF), convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro and seven of his closest allies—including senior military officers and former government officials—for participating in an attempted coup d'état, sentencing him to 27 years and three months in prison. The conviction has been described as a historic moment for accountability in a country that has never before seen a leader convicted for attempting to disrupt the democratic order, despite its long history of coups. The Court concluded that Bolsonaro and his allies had formed a criminal organisation to keep him in power after losing the 2022 elections. The plan included a plot to assassinate President Lula da Silva, his Vice-President and Justice Alexandre de Moraes, as well as other attempts to create a state of chaos that would trigger military intervention. Bolsonaro claims the trial was politically motivated and is set to appeal, though legal experts say overturning the sentence is unlikely.
Sources: Agencia Brasil, Brasil de Fato, The Guardian, CNN Brasil
