A majority of judges on Brazil’s Supreme Court voted Wednesday to put former President Jair Bolsonaro on trial for allegedly conspiring to “overthrow” the government after the 2022 election.
The first three members of a five-judge panel backed the decision, paving the way for a trial expected later this year. If convicted, Bolsonaro could face a prison sentence exceeding two decades.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the case, opened the session by showing dramatic footage of Bolsonaro’s supporters storming government buildings, which took place just a week after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s inauguration in January 2023.
Bolsonaro, a former army captain who led Brazil from 2019 to 2022, is accused of five crimes, including attempting to violently abolish the democratic rule of law and orchestrating a coup. Moraes said Bolsonaro engaged in “a systematic effort to cast doubt on the electronic voting machines” used in Brazil, part of a broader attempt to “undermine the election results.”
The Supreme Court began reviewing charges against Bolsonaro and seven of his closest allies on Tuesday. Bolsonaro attended the session voluntarily, sitting silently in the front row in a scene reminiscent of President Trump’s trial last year.
Despite being barred from running for office until 2030 by Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court for undermining the country’s voting system, Bolsonaro has insisted he will seek the presidency again next year.
