Brazil’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro to begin serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a failed coup to block Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office after the 2022 elections. Bolsonaro, 70, exhausted all appeals before the court declared the judgment final.
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The brash former army captain, who reshaped Brazil’s political landscape, is jailed in a small, secure room at police headquarters in Brasilia equipped with a TV, mini-fridge, and air-conditioning. He had been under house arrest until Saturday, when he tampered with his ankle monitor using a soldering iron.
Bolsonaro was convicted in September for attempting to overthrow Brazil’s democracy, a plan that included a plot to kill Lula. Prosecutors said the scheme failed only due to lack of support from top military officials. The Supreme Court also ordered a military tribunal to decide whether Bolsonaro should be stripped of his captain’s rank.
One country believes convicting coup leaders
Jair Bolsonaro ordered to start 27-year prison term for plotting Brazil coup – The Guardian https://t.co/kLcnzWaUNW
— Chris Meloni (@Chris_Meloni) November 25, 2025
Five of Bolsonaro’s co-accused, including former ministers and military generals, began serving sentences of 19 to 26 years. Former intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem, sentenced to 16 years, fled to the United States and was declared a fugitive. Bolsonaro’s son, Eduardo, was charged with obstruction of justice for promoting measures aimed at interfering with the trial.
Bolsonaro’s defence team warned that detention could endanger his life, citing his past stab wound, multiple surgeries, and ongoing health issues including persistent hiccups and gastric problems. Family members described him as “extremely fragile and psychologically devastated,” saying he eats very little.
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As Bolsonaro faces jail, Brazil’s conservative electorate remains without a clear leader ahead of the 2026 presidential elections, where Lula, 80, has announced plans to seek a fourth term. Bolsonaro maintains his innocence, claiming political persecution, while critics see his imprisonment as a key moment in the country’s ongoing struggle to safeguard democracy.