Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has begun serving a 27-year prison sentence following his conviction for orchestrating a failed coup attempt after losing the 2022 presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The ruling, issued by Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, marks the conclusion of Bolsonaro’s legal appeals after his team declined to pursue a final challenge to the verdict. With no further legal avenues available, the conviction has been deemed final, triggering enforcement of the sentence and ensuring that the former president must serve his time. This dramatic development underscores the seriousness with which Brazilian authorities are addressing attempts to subvert democratic institutions.
Bolsonaro has been held at the Federal Police headquarters since his arrest, which came after authorities accused him of tampering with his court-ordered ankle monitor. According to Moraes, Bolsonaro will serve his sentence at the federal police facility, where he will remain under strict supervision. The arrest itself has drawn considerable attention both domestically and internationally, as Bolsonaro’s supporters have long argued that the legal actions against him are politically motivated. Despite these claims, the Supreme Court maintained that the measures were necessary to ensure compliance with the law and protect the integrity of Brazil’s democratic system.
Despite the ruling, Bolsonaro’s attorney, Paulo Cunha Bueno, announced via social media platform X that the former president would continue to explore legal avenues to challenge the conviction. Bolsonaro’s defense team has argued that the arrest is “unjustifiable” and raised concerns regarding his health, citing potential risks associated with detention. The Supreme Court, however, released video evidence showing Bolsonaro allegedly tampering with his ankle monitor using a soldering iron. Bolsonaro explained that he was not attempting to evade house arrest but acted under the influence of hallucinations caused by new medication, a claim that has generated debate among legal analysts and political commentators.
The case against Bolsonaro stems from events immediately following his defeat in the 2022 election. Federal investigators concluded that Bolsonaro and his allies rapidly devised an illegal strategy to maintain power, culminating in the January 8, 2023, attack on government buildings in Brasília by his supporters. This violent episode highlighted the lengths to which the former president’s faction was willing to go in order to challenge the election results. Authorities have consistently stated that the coup attempt posed a severe threat to Brazil’s democratic institutions, making the legal consequences unavoidable and the prison sentence a necessary step to uphold the rule of law.
The political implications of Bolsonaro’s arrest have extended beyond Brazil, affecting relations with the United States. After President Donald Trump, a political ally of Bolsonaro, returned to office in 2024, tensions arose between the two countries over the treatment of the former Brazilian leader. In July, Trump imposed steep tariffs on select Brazilian exports and called on Brazil to halt what he described as a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro. By the time Bolsonaro was taken into custody, however, the White House had granted tariff exceptions for several of Brazil’s largest exports. Trump, when asked about the arrest, acknowledged that he had not been informed beforehand and described the situation as “too bad,” highlighting the diplomatic sensitivities surrounding Bolsonaro’s imprisonment.
The U.S. response to Bolsonaro’s conviction has included actions against Brazilian officials. Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the revocation of visas for Justice Alexandre de Moraes, several judicial allies, and their immediate family members, citing what he described as a “political witch hunt” targeting Bolsonaro. Rubio characterized the actions of the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court as an overreach that violated the rights of both Brazilians and Americans, and emphasized that the U.S. would hold accountable those responsible for censorship or political persecution abroad. Meanwhile, Bolsonaro himself has expressed feelings of “supreme humiliation,” noting in an interview that at age 70, after serving four years as president, he finds the prison sentence particularly devastating. The former president has also been barred from seeking public office until 2030, a measure reflecting the court’s determination to prevent future threats to democratic governance.
