A former Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison by the nation’s Supreme Federal Court. The ruling, delivered on Thursday, follows accusations stemming primarily from the events of January 1, 2023, when Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed government buildings in Brasilia.
The court found Bolsonaro guilty of armed criminal association, attempted overthrow of the democratic state, sedition, vandalism through violence and serious threats and damage to property. The actions of Bolsonaro’s supporters on that day were widely interpreted as an effort to instigate a military coup.
The verdict also encompasses charges against seven other individuals, including Alexandre Ramagem, former director of Brazil’s intelligence agency; Anderson Torres, former Minister of Justice; and Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, former Minister of Defence.
Bolsonaro served as President of Brazil from January 2019 to December 2022. Prior to his departure, he narrowly lost the presidential election to former and current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Lula himself had previously spent over a year incarcerated, even during Bolsonaro’s presidency.