Brasília, Brazil — Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison after the Supreme Court found him guilty of attempting to subvert Brazil’s democratic order, in a verdict that will echo across Latin America and beyond.
AfricaHeadline Reports Team
editorial@africaheadline.com
The ruling, handed down by the court’s First Panel on Thursday, is unprecedented in Brazil: never before has a former head of state been convicted of crimes against democracy.
Bolsonaro was convicted on five counts, including leading an armed criminal organization, attempting to violently abolish the democratic state, plotting a coup d’état, and destroying protected public property.
The case centers on the January 8, 2023 attacks, when thousands of his supporters stormed the Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace in Brasília, just a week after leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office. The violent scenes, reminiscent of the January 6th Capitol riots in the United States, shocked the world and underscored Brazil’s deep political divisions.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who led the trial, described Bolsonaro as the “intellectual author” of the movement and argued that the coordinated assault sought to dismantle the democratic state.
“The January 8th attack was not a protest,” Moraes said. “It was a direct attempt to abolish democracy and impose chaos through violence.”
His proposed sentence of 27 years and three months was backed by a majority of justices, reflecting the gravity with which the court treated the charges.
Bolsonaro has rejected the verdict, calling it a “political persecution” and accusing the court of bias. His legal team vowed to appeal the sentence.
His political party, the Liberal Party (PL), also denounced the ruling, saying it undermines democracy instead of protecting it.
Supporters gathered outside the court in Brasília, many waving Brazilian flags and chanting Bolsonaro’s name, while government allies celebrated what they called a “historic defense of the rule of law.”
The ruling could reshape Brazil’s political landscape. Bolsonaro, once the standard-bearer of the far right and a polarizing figure in Latin American politics, now faces not only a lengthy prison term but also decades of political ineligibility.
“This effectively ends Bolsonaro’s career as a political contender,” said political analyst Ana Paiva. “But it also deepens polarization, as millions of his supporters still believe in his narrative of persecution.”
The conviction resonates beyond Brazil’s borders. Democracies across the world are closely watching how Brazil’s judiciary has handled a direct challenge to its institutions.
“This sends a powerful message,” said an international law professor at the University of São Paulo. “No leader is untouchable. Rule of law must prevail, even against those who once held the highest office.”
Brazil now joins a growing list of countries, from South Korea to Peru and South Africa, that have prosecuted former presidents accused of corruption, abuse of power or undermining democracy.Bolsonaro remains under house arrest for now, but the legal battles are far from over. Appeals could take months or even years. Still, the sentence highlights a decisive moment for Brazil’s institutions.
“Today’s ruling is about more than Bolsonaro,” Paiva added. “It’s about whether Brazil’s democracy can survive pressure from within. The Supreme Court has made it clear: it will not bend.”
