Brazil’s Supreme Court orders Jair Bolsonaro to begin prison sentence

Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro to begin serving his 27-year prison sentence, after his defence team declined to file a second appeal.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a leading figure in the trial against Bolsonaro, made the announcement on Tuesday.
The court indicated Bolsonaro would begin his sentence at the Federal Police headquarters in the capital Brasilia, where he is currently being held.

In September, Bolsonaro was convicted of plotting to stage a coup, in order to retain power after his defeat in the 2022 presidential election.

He was found guilty of trying to subvert the democratic rule of law, attempting a coup, participating in an armed conspiracy, causing damage to public property and contributing to the deterioration of a listed national heritage site.

He was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison. But that sentence did not begin immediately, to allow for appeals.

Bolsonaro disputes defeat
A member of Brazil’s far-right Liberal Party, known by the acronym PL, Bolsonaro was a former army captain who served nearly 27 years in the Chamber of Deputies before becoming president.

He led the country from 2019 to 2023. But critics accused him of manipulating his office to undermine Brazil’s voting system, and in June 2023, after he left office, Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court ruled he had abused his power.

Bolsonaro ran for re-election in the 2022 race, but in a run-off vote, he was narrowly defeated by left-wing leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.