Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro commenced his 27-year prison term on Tuesday for orchestrating a coup in a bid to retain power after losing the 2022 presidential election, a development that many in Brazil had doubted would materialize.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes mandated Bolsonaro’s confinement at Brazil’s Federal Police headquarters in Brasilia following reports that he had tampered with his ankle monitor using a soldering iron. Bolsonaro will be isolated from other prisoners at the facility, residing in a 12-square-meter room furnished with a bed, private bathroom, air conditioning, TV, and desk.
Under Brazilian criminal law, the 70-year-old could have been transferred to a local prison or a military facility in Brasilia. Bolsonaro and his associates were found guilty by a panel of Supreme Court justices for plotting to subvert Brazil’s democracy post the 2022 election loss.
The conspiracy involved plans to eliminate President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin, and Justice de Moraes, along with inciting insurrection in early 2023. Bolsonaro was convicted of leading an armed criminal organization and attempting to violently dismantle democratic governance.
Despite his denial of any wrongdoing, the Supreme Court finalized Bolsonaro’s guilty verdict, rejecting his appeal this month. Bolsonaro, a significant political figure in Brazil, is ineligible to run for office until 2030 following a ruling by Brazil’s top electoral court. Polls suggest he would pose a competitive candidacy if permitted to run in the next election.
An ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, Bolsonaro faced accusations of seeking Trump’s intervention to halt legal proceedings against him. The relationship between the two nations has since improved, with higher tariffs being lifted after meetings between Lula, Trump, and other officials.
Before his recent detention, Bolsonaro had been under house arrest in Brasilia for over 100 days in a separate case related to alleged attempts to solicit Trump’s interference in his legal matters.