Brazil is bracing for a historic legal showdown as its Supreme Court prepares to try former President Jair Bolsonaro on charges of orchestrating an attempted coup following his defeat in the 2022 presidential election. The high-stakes trial, set to begin September 2, 2025, will be presided over by a panel of five justices led by Minister Alexandre de Moraes, and is expected to extend through September 12, according to Latin Times and other international outlets.
The case marks an extraordinary moment in Brazil’s modern political history, pitting the country’s former far-right leader against its highest court. Bolsonaro, who governed Brazil from 2019 to 2022, faces a litany of serious charges: attempted coup, armed association to commit crimes, violent efforts to dismantle the democratic order, and damaging public property. If convicted, he could spend up to 43 years behind bars—a sentence that would not only end his political career but also send shockwaves through the nation’s institutions.
The Supreme Court’s president of the First Panel, Cristiano Zanin, set the trial dates at the request of the case’s rapporteur, Alexandre de Moraes, after all eight defendants had delivered their final statements. The court has scheduled extraordinary sessions for September 2, 3, 9, 10, and 12 to ensure the complex proceedings move forward without delay, as reported by NMinuto and Latin Times.
Bolsonaro is not standing alone in the dock. Four of his former ministers—Anderson Torres, Augusto Heleno, General Walter Braga Netto, and General Paulo Sérgio Nogueira—are also among the defendants. The list further includes Almir Garnier, former commander of the Brazilian Navy; Alexandre Ramagem, former director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin); and Colonel Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro’s former personal advisor. Prosecutors allege this group formed the central nucleus of a plot to subvert Brazil’s democracy and prevent the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in a tightly contested race in 2022.
According to the indictment filed by Brazil’s Attorney General Rodrigo Janot, Bolsonaro refused to recognize his electoral defeat, plunging the country into a period of intense protests and institutional crisis. The case alleges that, after failing to overturn the election result through legal and political maneuvers, the defendants incited the storming of government buildings in Brasilia on January 8, 2023. On that day, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters—dubbed "bolsonaristas"—invaded and vandalized the headquarters of the Three Powers, demanding military intervention and alleging election fraud, as detailed by Latin Times and NMinuto.
Prosecutors maintain that Bolsonaro was the intended main beneficiary of what they describe as an "armed criminal organization." The case file reportedly includes evidence of meetings where draft decrees were presented, including discussions about the possible imprisonment of officials such as Supreme Court judges. The prosecution’s narrative is bolstered by the testimony of Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro’s former aide, whose plea bargain has become a focal point of the trial. As noted by Latin Times, Cid is a key witness, and much of the case hinges on his statements.
Bolsonaro, for his part, has categorically denied all charges. Through his lawyers, he has called the accusations "absurd" and insisted that he supported a peaceful transition of power. In the words of his defense, "there is no way to convict" Bolsonaro based on the evidence presented, and they have questioned the validity of Cid’s plea bargain. Bolsonaro himself has described any coup as "abhorrent," distancing himself from the violence that erupted in Brasilia.
The legal drama has not played out in isolation. It has sparked intense diplomatic and economic friction between Brazil and the United States. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has emerged as one of Bolsonaro’s most vocal international defenders, labeling the trial a "witch hunt" and decrying what he calls "politically motivated persecution" of the former Brazilian leader. In a dramatic escalation, Trump has imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports and sanctioned Justice Alexandre de Moraes, including visa restrictions, as reported by Latin Times and NMinuto. The U.S. Treasury Department has also taken the rare step of sanctioning a sitting Brazilian Supreme Court justice in direct response to the proceedings.
These U.S. actions have triggered a diplomatic and trade conflict, with Brazil’s government pushing back against what it views as interference in its judicial process. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has publicly defended the independence of Brazil’s judiciary, emphasizing the country’s commitment to democratic rule and national sovereignty. As he put it, the judiciary’s work is vital to upholding Brazil’s institutions and the rule of law.
The stakes are high not just for Bolsonaro but for Brazil’s political future. The outcome of the trial could reshape the country’s democracy, set precedent for the prosecution of former leaders, and reverberate through Brazil’s relations with its largest trading partner. The extraordinary nature of the proceedings—five justices, multiple high-profile defendants, marathon court sessions—underscores the gravity of the allegations and the court’s determination to see the case through.
The defendants face a range of charges, including attempting to abolish the rule of law, armed association to commit crimes, and damaging public property. If found guilty, Bolsonaro could face up to 43 years in prison, according to Latin Times. The trial will also scrutinize the actions of his former ministers and advisors, whose roles in the alleged plot are under intense examination.
The case has also had immediate personal consequences for Bolsonaro. He was placed under house arrest in Brasilia in early August 2025 after violating a court-ordered ban on using social media to plead his case to the public, as reported by Latin Times.
As Brazil prepares for the trial’s opening gavel, the nation finds itself at a crossroads. Can its institutions withstand the strain of such a high-profile prosecution? Will the judiciary’s actions strengthen or undermine public trust? And how will the fallout reshape Brazil’s relationship with the United States?
One thing is certain: the world will be watching as Brazil’s Supreme Court weighs the fate of a former president and, in many ways, the future of its democracy.
