On charges, he unanimously refers to former Brazilian President Zaich Bolsonaru the country’s Supreme Court, with the 70 -year -old retired military now in danger of a heavy sentence of prison, and he sees his hopes go back.
This decision is of historical importance, for a country still haunted by the memories of the 1964-85 military dictatorship.
The far-right former president (2019-22) was not in the courtroom today. Yesterday, he said he was a victim of “the greatest political prosecution in Brazilian history”.
Nostalgia of the junta period, the former army captain is accused by prosecutors of being the “leader” of a “criminal organization”, which has long been conspiring, in order to remain in power “in every way” after the 20th election, in which he was elected by 2022.
The categories and the projected penalties
According to the Federal Police, after his election defeat, the alleged conspirators intended to draw a decree calling for new elections. They were also planning the murder of Lula, elected Vice President Geraldo Alkmin, and the Judge of the Supreme Court Alexander de Moraes.
The accusations are heavy: a coup, an attempt to abolish the democratic rule of law and the establishment of an armed criminal organization.
The sentence that could be imposed on Bolsonaru for all charges exceeds 40 years, but is estimated to remain free until his trial.
Although Brazilian legislation does not provide for a specific timetable for the trial, experts estimate that Bolsonaru will be brought to court by the end of the year, because in 2026 it is an election year. Bolsonaru has lost his right to be elected by 2030 because of attacks on electronic voting systems, but hopes that this decision will be canceled to be able to re -run for the 2026 presidential elections. Lula’s popularity is declining, mainly due to continuing high inflation.
The personal involvement of the members of the Supreme Court
Judge Alexander de Moraes, who considers Bolsonaru’s dictator, was the first to vote “yes” to the proposal to refer to trial.
Citing Moraes’ “individual interest”, as a possible assassination goal, the defense attempted to force him to self -delegate, but in vain. Her attempt was without success to exclude two other members of the court, former Minister Lula, Flavio Dino, and former lawyer of today’s President Cristiano Zanin.
The judges also brought to trial seven other alleged conspirators, including many former ministers, the candidate vice president of the 2022 elections and former Navy commander Almir Garnier Santos.
According to the indictment, the coup was avoided because the other branches of the Brazilian Armed Forces did not support it. Prosecutors are claiming the events of January 8, 2023 in Brasilia. One week after Lula’s swearing -in, thousands of Bolsonaru supporters invaded and plundered the buildings of the Supreme Court, Parliament and the Presidential Palace, demanding the intervention of the army and denouncing electoral fraud.
Lula returned to the presidency for a third term in 2023, after in the meantime he had his own dealings with justice and was even imprisoned on the charge of corruption, but then his conviction was canceled.
