Coup Plot / Undermining Democracy
What happened
Key dates
Charges & Verdict
- Bolsonaro and a number of his allies are accused of orchestrating a conspiracy after the 2022 presidential election loss (to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva) to subvert the democratic transfer of power in Brazil.
The alleged plot included:
- Undermining confidence in the election system and casting the 2022 result as fraudulent.
- Seeking military or security-force backing to overturn or block the election outcome.
- Plans to target senior institutional figures, including a judge of the Supreme Court (Alexandre de Moraes) and government officials.
- A high-profile manifestation of this effort was the attack on government buildings in the capital (Praça dos Três Poderes, Brasília) on 8 January 2023, by supporters of Bolsonaro.
Key dates
- 8 January 2023: Riots in Brasília in which Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings.
- 26 March 2025: Brazil’s Supreme Court accepted the complaint that Bolsonaro and seven others would stand trial for coup-related charges.
- 11 September 2025: The 5-justice panel of Brazil’s highest court convicted Bolsonaro and his allies on multiple counts.
- 11 September 2025: On the same day, he was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison for the coup-plot/undermining-democracy crimes.
Charges & Verdict
- The charges included: organizing a criminal armed organisation; attempting the violent abolition of democratic rule of law; attempting a coup; damage of government property/heritage.
- Bolsonaro was found guilty by a 4-1 majority of the 5-justice panel.
- This is reportedly the first time in Brazil’s history that a former president has been convicted for attempting to overthrow democratic governance.
Sources
International Bar Association
Rule of law: Bolsonaro conviction signals Brazil’s democratic resilience
AP News
Brazilian Supreme Court panel sentences Bolsonaro to more than 27 years in prison for coup attempt