- Two Supreme Court justices have voted to convict Jair Bolsonaro of plotting a coup.
- A third guilty vote would secure a conviction and potentially a 40+ year prison sentence.
- Bolsonaro is accused of leading a criminal plot to prevent Lula from taking office.
- Evidence includes a plan drafted inside government buildings and a failed attempt to enlist military support.
- Bolsonaro remains under house arrest and is banned from running for office until 2030.
- The trial continues Wednesday, with Justice Luiz Fux expected to cast the pivotal vote.
Brazil’s Supreme Court has entered a decisive phase in the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro, with two out of five justices already voting to convict him of plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 election results. The trial, which has gripped the nation and drawn global attention, could result in a prison sentence exceeding 40 years if Bolsonaro is found guilty.
Justices Alexandre de Moraes and Flávio Dino delivered damning assessments of Bolsonaro’s role in the alleged conspiracy, accusing him of leading a criminal organization that sought to prevent President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office. Their votes have set the stage for Justice Luiz Fux, whose decision on Wednesday could tip the balance toward conviction.
The charges against Bolsonaro include attempted violent abolition of democratic rule, conspiracy to stage a coup, and involvement in an armed criminal organization. Prosecutors have presented evidence of a detailed plan — codenamed Operation Green and Yellow Dagger — which allegedly included assassination plots targeting Lula, his running mate, and Justice Moraes himself.
Investigators say the plan was drafted within government headquarters while Bolsonaro was present, and printed inside the presidential palace. Although the plot failed to gain sufficient military backing, Moraes argued that its culmination was the January 8, 2023 storming of Brazil’s Congress, Supreme Court, and presidential palace by thousands of Bolsonaro supporters.
Bolsonaro, who governed from 2019 to 2022, has denied all charges and claims the trial is politically motivated. He did not attend the court session, citing health issues stemming from a 2018 stabbing incident. His lawyers say he is following proceedings from his home in Brasília, where he remains under house arrest.
The former president is already banned from seeking public office until 2030 for spreading false claims about Brazil’s voting system. A conviction in this case would not only deepen his legal troubles but could permanently derail any hopes of a political comeback.
Seven co-defendants, including top military officials, are also on trial. All have denied involvement in the alleged coup attempt.
