Bolsonaro Faces Imminent Imprisonment as Brazil’s Supreme Court Rejects Appeal in Coup Attempt Case

Original article: Bolsonaro, al borde de la cárcel: Corte Suprema de Brasil deja sin piso su apelación por intento de golpe de Estado

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has exhausted his primary legal options to avoid imprisonment after the First Panel of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) unanimously dismissed his appeal against a 27-year prison sentence for his attempt to overthrow the government of incumbent President Lula Da Silva, which took place on January 8, 2023.

This decision, officially announced at midnight on Friday, November 14, 2025, following a virtual session, paves the way for the far-right leader to potentially be incarcerated as early as the last week of November.

The First Panel of Brazil’s Supreme Court released the minutes of the hearing on Monday, in which they denied appeals against the 27-year and three-month sentence handed down to Bolsonaro for his involvement in the coup attempt, marking another significant step toward the enforcement of his sentence.

Bolsonaro Found Guilty of Attempted Coup Against Lula Da Silva

The next step in the legal process will be the publication of an official document confirming the sentence, which was rendered on September 11 after he was found guilty of attempting to prevent the inauguration of the current progressive president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who defeated him in the October 2022 elections.

This operation included the assault on the seats of the three branches of government on January 8, 2023, when thousands of far-right activists attempted to persuade the Armed Forces to oust Lula, who had taken office just a week prior.

According to the prosecution, the coup plot also involved plans to assassinate Lula, his vice president Geraldo Alckmin, and the Supreme Court justice overseeing the case, Alexandre de Moraes. However, these crimes were thwarted due to a lack of support from high-ranking military officials.

Four out of five judges on the Supreme Court panel voted to convict the far-right former president to 27 years and three months in prison for five charges, including participating in an armed criminal organization, violently attempting to overthrow democracy, and organizing a coup.

Alongside Bolsonaro, several of his associates and the military officials who supported his criminal activities were also convicted. Notably, Walter Braga Netto, a former Minister of the Civil House and one of Bolsonaro’s most trusted allies, was sentenced to 26 years in prison, beginning in a closed regime.

Other convicts include Augusto Heleno, former head of the Institutional Security Cabinet and a key figure in the military wing; Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, former Minister of Defense; and Mauro Cid, a former aide and whistleblower who provided critical evidence about the conspiracy.

Countdown to Imprisonment

With the rejection of the appeal, the judicial process now enters its final phase. A source from the court told AFP that, once the hearing results are published— which occurred on Monday— the defense will have five days to file a new appeal.

However, that request could be «swiftly» dismissed by the presiding judge De Moraes, who would then certify the conclusion of the trial.

Legal experts believe this appeal has little chance of success. Thiago Bottino, a law professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, explained the procedure: «Generally, after the final sentence is published, the arrest order is issued the same day.»

He noted that it will be Judge De Moraes who determines where the arrest will be carried out.

According to procedural timelines, it is estimated that Bolsonaro could be sent to prison in the last week of November. The former president, aged 70, is currently under house arrest since August for violating precautionary measures in a separate case.

Possible Imprisonment Scenarios

Although a prison order is expected to be issued soon, questions about the conditions of confinement arise. Due to health issues stemming from a knife attack he suffered in 2018, Bolsonaro might request to serve his sentence at home.

This scenario has a recent precedent: former president Fernando Collor de Mello was detained and taken to prison in May 2025 for a nearly nine-year sentence for corruption but later obtained house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor based on «humanitarian reasons» after his defense argued that he was suffering from Parkinson’s and bipolar affective disorder.

However, it is noteworthy that in his ruling, Judge Moraes emphasized that the 27-year and three-month sentence already considered Bolsonaro’s age as a mitigating factor, a viewpoint shared by the other judges on the panel.

The sentence against Bolsonaro comes at a time when relations between Brazil and the United States are being recalibrated, a situation that has been impacted by this trial. The campaign led by Eduardo Bolsonaro from the United States prompted Donald Trump to impose punitive tariffs of 50% on Brazilian exports.

Nonetheless, the Republican mogul signed a decree last Friday to lift U.S. tariffs on agricultural imports such as beef, bananas, coffee, and tomatoes, amid growing pressure on his administration to reduce the cost of living for Americans.

With the rejection of his appeal, Jair Bolsonaro now faces the stark reality of nearly three decades in prison, marking a pivotal moment in Brazilian politics and demonstrating the resilience of its democratic institutions against attempts to undermine them.