Majority of Brazil’s Supreme Court panel accepts coup charge against Bolsonaro
The former president could be sentenced to decades in prison if convicted of all the charge against him.
A majority of a panel of justices of Brazil’s Supreme Court has accepted charges against former president Jair Bolsonaro over an alleged attempt to stay in office after his 2022 election defeat.
Three justices voted in favour of putting him on trial. The result will be official after all five judges cast their votes.
The three justices said seven close allies of Bolsonaro should also stand trial on five counts: attempting to stage a coup, involvement in an armed criminal organisation, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, damage characterised by violence and a serious threat against the state’s assets, and deterioration of listed heritage.
The former president has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and says he is being politically persecuted.
Prosecutor-general Paulo Gonet said on Tuesday that those facing the charges sought to maintain Bolsonaro in power “at all costs” in a multi-step scheme that accelerated after the far-right politician lost to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the election.
Like in his February indictment of Bolsonaro and 33 others, Mr Gonet said part of the plot included a plan to kill Mr Lula and Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who were put under surveillance by the alleged conspirators.
The plan did not go ahead only because at the last minute the accused failed to get the army’s commander on board, Mr Gonet said.
“Frustration overwhelmed the members of the criminal organisation who, however, did not give up on the violent seizure of power, not even after the elected president of the republic was sworn in,” the prosecutor said.
That was a reference to the riot on January 8 2023 when Bolsonaro supporters stormed and trashed the Supreme Court, presidential palace and Congress in Brasilia a week after Mr Lula took office.
The Supreme Court is analysing whether to accept the charges against eight of the 34 people Mr Gonet accused of participating in the coup plan.
Observers say the charges are likely to be accepted.
As well as Bolsonaro, the court will vote on accusations faced by his running mate during the 2022 election and former defence minister Walter Braga Netto, ex-justice minister Anderson Torres and his aide Mauro Cid, among others.
The court will decide on the fate of the others later.
