Two and a half years after supporters of Jair Bolsonaro stormed and ransacked Brazil’s Congress, Supreme Court and presidential offices on Jan. 8, 2023, Brazil’s top court is close to delivering its criminal verdict on the country’s far-right former president.
Bolsonaro is being accused of inciting the population to believe the 2022 election was rigged, discussing plans to subvert the election results with top military commanders, and plotting to execute prominent authorities — among them, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Military officials are also in the dock, accused of similar crimes.
Bolsonaro says he is innocent and that he is the target of a “witch hunt.” US President Donald Trump's massive tariffs and sanctions, citing Brazil’s prosecution of Bolsonaro, added another layer of complexity to the trial, making it also a matter of sovereignty and judicial independence.
But what does Brazilian law say? How does this trial relate to the history of Brazilian democracy? What effects could it have on the country’s Armed Forces? How could a conviction for Bolsonaro shake up the Brazilian right?
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