After being convicted of an attempted coup, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro will begin a prison sentence of more than 27 years at the Federal Police headquarters in the capital Brasilia. The former head of state (2019-2022) will initially serve his sentence at the police station where he has been held since the weekend, decided federal judge Alexandre de Moraes.
The Supreme Court had previously declared the decision against the former military officer to be final. As a result, Bolsonaro’s lawyers can no longer pursue further legal action, as is always reported by the Brazilian media. This paved the way for the implementation of prison sentences for coup attempts.
Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison by the Supreme Court in September for an attempted coup following his election defeat against incumbent head of state Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Bolsonaro is in poor health
Federal judge Alexandre de Moraes spoke of a “real risk of flight” and a “threat to public order”. The 70-year-old man has been under house arrest since August for violating court conditions. According to his lawyer, he is in serious health condition and suffers from, among other things, lung infections, ulcers, skin cancer, constant hiccup crises, and complications following a knife attack that befell him during the 2018 election campaign.
The former president in newly renovated solitary confinement
According to a report by the state news agency Agencia Brasil, Bolsonaro has a cell at police headquarters measuring about 12 square meters and recently renovated. Therefore, this room has white walls, a single bed, cupboard, side table, TV, minibar, air conditioning and window as well as a private bathroom.
Bolsonaro was arrested at the weekend as a precaution after trying to break his electronic ankle bracelet. He admitted working on the monitoring device with a soldering iron “out of curiosity.” At his trial, Bolsonaro said he had a “hallucination” that the ankle bracelet was tapped and so he tried to open the cover.
Two of Bolsonaro’s co-conspirators, former Cabinet Secretary for Institutional Security Augusto Heleno and Defense Minister Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, were arrested by federal police on Tuesday, the G1 news portal reported. Their legal remedies have also been exhausted. Heleno was sentenced to 21 years in prison at a criminal trial, Nogueira to 19 years.
Former military supporters invaded government districts
Shortly after Lula took office, Bolsonaro supporters violently stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace on January 8, 2023. Only hours later security forces entered the government area of the capital. Brazil back under control.
Images of the riot spread around the world at the time and were reminiscent of the storming of the US Congress in Washington in January 2021 by supporters of then-President-elect Donald Trump, who did not want to accept his defeat to Joe Biden. Bolsonaro is also nicknamed the “Tropical Trump” because of his rhetoric and governance.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:251125-930-340704/2
