Jair Bolsonaro, the former President of Brazil, has been handed a prison sentence of 27 years and three months after being found guilty of orchestrating a military coup attempt. This verdict has sparked a strong backlash from U.S. President Donald Trump.
A panel consisting of five Supreme Court justices delivered the ruling against the 70-year-old Bolsonaro just hours after convicting him of masterminding a plot to retain power following his defeat in the 2022 presidential election by his leftist opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Out of the five justices, four voted to convict Bolsonaro, while one dissented. Bolsonaro’s defense team condemned the sentence as “excessively harsh” and announced plans to pursue “all necessary appeals.”
In addition to the lengthy prison term, Bolsonaro was prohibited from seeking public office until 2033. He was also placed under house arrest, deemed a flight risk by the court. Notably, Bolsonaro did not appear in person for the final stage of the trial.
Bolsonaro has previously argued that his house arrest was a tactic to block his candidacy in the 2026 presidential race, despite already being barred from holding office due to separate legal issues. He has repeatedly labeled the proceedings against him as a “political witch hunt.”
In response to Bolsonaro’s conviction, former U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports, framing the move as retaliation for the legal actions taken against Bolsonaro.
Trump expressed surprise at the verdict, drawing parallels to his own legal battles: “This is very similar to what they tried to do to me. But I wasn’t defeated.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also condemned the Brazilian Supreme Court’s decision, calling it an “unjust imprisonment” and warning that the U.S. would “take appropriate measures in response to this political persecution.”
However, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly rebuked Rubio’s comments on the social media platform X, stating, “Threats like those made today by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which attack Brazilian institutions and disregard the substantial evidence presented, will not intimidate our democracy.”
While Bolsonaro’s legal team is preparing to challenge the conviction, experts suggest that overturning the verdict may be challenging, as appeals typically require at least two justices to have voted for acquittal.
