Jair Bolsonaro's Coup Charges: Supreme Court Orders Trial

Brazil's Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that former president Jair Bolsonaro will stand trial for allegedly attempting a coup against current president Lula da Silva. The charges could lead to years of prison time if he is found guilty.

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro is facing serious legal challenges as he is set to stand trial for allegations of orchestrating a coup against current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The decision was made by Brazil's Supreme Court, which voted unanimously in favor of moving forward with the trial.

The court's ruling could lead to a trial commencing as early as this year. If convicted, Bolsonaro, who is 70 years old, could face substantial prison time. After the announcement, Bolsonaro expressed his discontent during a press conference, asserting that the charges against him were "grave and baseless," and he has consistently denied any attempts to obstruct Lula's inauguration.

“It seems they have something personal against me,” Bolsonaro remarked in a post on X, where he indicated that he believes he is a victim of political persecution aimed at hindering his potential run for the presidency in 2026.

The Supreme Court panel was primarily tasked with evaluating whether sufficient evidence existed to proceed with a trial against Bolsonaro. The head of the panel, Justice Alexandre de Moraes, was the first to cast his vote. He proposed that Bolsonaro, along with seven former officials described by the attorney-general as "co-conspirators," face trial for their roles leading up to the riots on January 8, 2023, when Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings a week following Lula's inauguration.

The list of accused co-conspirators includes notable figures such as Alexandre Ramagem, former head of intelligence, Almir Garnier Santos, a former navy commander, and several other high-ranking officials from Bolsonaro's administration.

The January incidents at the Brazilian capital, Brasilia, sparked federal investigations which revealed what investigators termed a criminal organization acting in a coordinated effort to maintain Bolsonaro in power. An extensive 884-page report, unsealed in November 2024, accused Bolsonaro of planning and being fully aware of this alleged coup effort.

Accusations from Brazil's Attorney-General, Paulo Gonet, pressed even further, suggesting that Bolsonaro not only had knowledge of but also led the criminal organization intending to overthrow Lula. Disturbingly, Gonet's findings included extreme plots, such as plans to poison Lula and assassinate Justice Alexandre de Moraes.

Despite these allegations, Bolsonaro continues to claim political motivations behind the accusations, insisting they were fabricated to stifle his presidential ambitions. While he is already prohibited from pursuing public office until 2030 due to earlier claims concerning electoral fraud, he has expressed intentions to contest this ban, aiming for a second term in the upcoming 2026 elections. However, the recent Supreme Court decision has created significant obstacles for his political future.