Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro is set to be convicted of an attempted coup.
A live television broadcast on Thursday showed three of the five judges on the Supreme Federal Court (STF) voting to convict him.
The judges can still change their decisions until a verdict is pronounced on Friday, however.
In the five-member chamber, a majority of three votes is needed for conviction. One judge voted for Bolsonaro’s acquittal on Wednesday.
Bolsonaro is accused of plotting with allies to stage a coup against the government of his left-wing successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, following his 2022 election defeat.
According to the prosecution, he had planned to impose a state of emergency and call new elections – but he was unable to win the support of the military leadership.
On 8 January, 2023, supporters of the right-wing politician stormed Congress, the Supreme Federal Court and the presidential palace in Brasília.
Bolsonaro is also said to have known about plans to assassinate Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and judge Alexandre de Moraes.
The 70-year-old faces up to 43 years in prison, although the sentence could be lowered to house arrest due to his age.
Bolsonaro has been under house arrest since early August for violating conditions and is being monitored due to the risk of fleeing.
The defence rejected all accusations during the trial and argued that there was no solid evidence of Bolsonaro’s involvement in a coup plan.
His lawyers also spoke of a “political trial” in which their client had not had a fair chance.
They criticized de Moraes’ role as chief justice, as he played a central role in the investigations and was himself named as a suspected target of the coup plans.
For Bolsonaro’s supporters, a “prior judgement” by the court was therefore unavoidable.
In addition to Bolsonaro, former Cabinet members and high-ranking military officers are also to be sentenced, including former defence minister Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, former navy chief Almir Garnier and Bolsonaro’s former security advisor Augusto Heleno.
They are accused of up to five criminal offences, including attempted coup d’état, participation in an armed criminal organization and damage to protected monuments.
Carmen Lucia, judge at Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF), speaks during a sentencing hearing in the trial against former President Jair Bolsonaro and seven co-defendants. The former head of state and the co-defendants are accused of an attempted coup d’état after the 2022 election….
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