Former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro has been convicted of plotting a coup in 2022 on Thursday (Sep 11). Three out of five Supreme Court justices found the 70-year-old guilty of leading a conspiracy, making him the first former president in Brazil’s political history to be convicted. The court said that Bolsanaro’s coup was aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Bolsanaro who did not attend the hearing, but only sent his lawyers, said that he will be appealing to a full bench of 11 judges of the Supreme Court. The charges on which the former Brazil PM has been convicted are attempting to stage a coup, being part of an armed criminal organisation, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, as well as being implicated in violence and posing a serious threat to the state’s assets and listed heritage. Notably, Bolsanaro has been barred from contesting elections till 2030 by the Supreme Court.

What will be his jail term?

The full sentence after his conviction is expected on Fri (Sep 12). Although the five crimes of which Bolsonaro was accused carry a combined sentence of 43 years, reports suggest that former president’s age and the fact that he is a first-time offender may reduce the punishment.

Investigators revealed that a coup plot involving Bolsonaro was dropped after only the navy chief sided with him, while the army and air force heads refused. The attempt to seize power peaked on January 8, 2023, when Bolsonaro supporters stormed Brazil’s presidential palace, congress, and supreme court, just a week after Lula took office. In Bolsonaro’s trial, only one Supreme Court judge, Luiz Fux, voted to acquit. He argued the prosecution lacked sufficient evidence and said the case should be annulled, claiming the court was not the proper venue and the defence couldn’t review all 70 terabytes of case documents.