Brasilia: Brazil’s Supreme Court has ruled that former President Jair Bolsonaro will stand trial for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the government following his defeat in the 2022 election. The decision, announced on Wednesday, could have profound political ramifications as Bolsonaro faces the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.
A five-judge panel unanimously determined that Bolsonaro should be prosecuted. The court proceedings, expected to take place later this year, could further isolate the far-right leader, who has yet to name a political successor.
Following the ruling, Bolsonaro held a press conference in Brasilia, where he strongly denied the charges and accused the judiciary of targeting him unfairly.
“It seems they have something personal against me,” he said, criticizing the allegations. “Coups have troops, have guns, and have leadership. They haven’t found who this leader would be.”
Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled to put former President Jair Bolsonaro on trial for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the government after he lost a 2022 election, moving swiftly in a case that could reshape the political landscape https://t.co/6i4z0lAMN1 pic.twitter.com/06A58vmMiO
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 27, 2025
The case, overseen by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, includes footage of Bolsonaro’s supporters storming government buildings in January 2023—just a week after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office. Moraes argued that the violent insurrection resulted from Bolsonaro’s “systematic effort” to undermine the election outcome and attempt to overturn the result, allegedly with the support of senior military figures and cabinet officials.
Bolsonaro, a former army captain who led Brazil from 2019 to 2022, faces five charges, including an attempt to violently abolish democratic rule and orchestrating a coup d’état. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and dismissed the accusations as politically driven.
The Supreme Court began reviewing the charges on Tuesday, with Bolsonaro voluntarily attending the session. He sat silently in the front row in a moment that drew comparisons to the legal troubles faced by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Unlike the protracted legal battles surrounding Trump, Brazilian courts and investigators have moved swiftly against Bolsonaro. The ruling came just a month after the country’s top prosecutor presented charges, highlighting an unprecedented pace for the Supreme Court, which typically takes years to resolve major cases.
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Legal experts suggest the rapid proceedings indicate the judiciary’s intent to conclude the trial before the 2026 presidential election cycle gains momentum. Bolsonaro has repeatedly claimed he intends to run for president again in 2026, despite a ruling from Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court that bars him from holding public office until 2030 due to his efforts to undermine the country’s voting system.
Before the court session, Bolsonaro organized a beachfront rally in Rio de Janeiro, aiming to capitalize on declining public approval for Lula and push Congress toward passing an amnesty bill benefiting him and his imprisoned supporters. While some allies projected that over a million people would attend, independent polling firms estimated turnout at only 20,000 to 30,000.
Despite the underwhelming rally, analysts believe Bolsonaro’s trial could energize his most loyal followers, many of whom have sought to discredit the Supreme Court both domestically and internationally.
“There are two trials: the first against the accused and the second about the Supreme Court itself,” said Leonardo Barreto, a partner at Brasilia-based consultancy Think Policy. He added that Bolsonaro’s allies in Congress remain unlikely to abandon him, emphasizing that “he has something all politicians value the most, which is votes.”
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In addition to Bolsonaro, the court has accepted charges against two retired generals: former Defense Minister Paulo Sergio Nogueira and former Chief of Staff Walter Braga Netto, who also served as Bolsonaro’s 2022 running mate.
The ruling marks a historic moment as high-ranking military officials face trial for attempting to dismantle Brazil’s democratic system. This signals a departure from the past, where military leaders involved in coups largely avoided legal consequences.
Unlike Argentina and Chile, where military regimes faced prosecution for their roles in toppling elected governments during the Cold War, Brazil has never held its military rulers accountable for the 1964-1985 dictatorship.
“This attempted coup was possible because the military didn’t think they would be held accountable,” said Pedro Fassoni Arruda, a political science professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo. Instead, he noted, there was “strong repudiation from society.”
