Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced former president Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup after his 2022 election loss to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The landmark 4-1 verdict, which also convicted seven co-accused, has divided Brazil and strained US-Brazil relations, per The Guardian.
The trial, concluding a divisive four-day vote, found Bolsonaro guilty of leading an armed criminal organisation, knowing of a plan to assassinate Lula, his vice president, and a Supreme Court justice, and inciting the 2023 storming of Brazil’s government buildings. Justice Cristiano Zanin, Lula’s former lawyer, confirmed the charges, per AP News. Bolsonaro, under house arrest, can appeal the verdict.
#BREAKING Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years in prison after coup-plotting conviction pic.twitter.com/KU91JdG1Cv
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) September 11, 2025US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the trial a “witch hunt,” vowing a response. President Donald Trump, who imposed tariffs on Brazil over the case, labelled the verdict “surprising” and compared it to his own legal battles. The US also sanctioned Supreme Court justices, escalating diplomatic tensions.
The trial polarised Brazil. Supporters of Lula celebrated, with one Brasilia resident saying, “This despicable individual is going to jail,” per The Guardian. Others, like a civil engineer, called it “unfair.” Bolsonaro’s allies are pushing for an amnesty law to avoid prison, per the BBC.
Jair Bolsonaro’s 27-year sentence in 2025 marks a historic moment for Brazil’s democracy, testing its resilience. The trial’s fallout, including US sanctions, highlights global political divides. The case could shape Brazil’s future and its international relations.
