Brazil stands at a pivotal moment this week as its Supreme Court convenes to decide the fate of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who faces grave accusations of orchestrating a coup attempt in the aftermath of his 2022 electoral defeat. The trial, which began on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, and is scheduled through Friday, marks the first time in the country’s history that a former president and several top military officials are being tried for plotting to subvert democratic rule. The proceedings have riveted the nation and drawn global attention, with proceedings broadcast live on television, radio, and YouTube for all to see, as reported by El País.
Bolsonaro, a 70-year-old former army captain and a central figure in Brazil’s right-wing politics, is charged with five serious crimes: attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, coup d’état, membership in an armed criminal organization, damage to government property, and damage to protected property. The maximum sentence for these charges could total up to 43 years in prison, according to AP News and El País. The Supreme Court’s First Chamber, consisting of five justices, will decide the innocence or guilt of Bolsonaro and seven close allies, including former defense ministers Walter Braga Netto and Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, as well as other high-ranking officials from his administration.
The trial’s gravity is heightened by the unprecedented nature of the charges. Never before has a former Brazilian president or senior military leaders faced justice for an alleged coup plot. The complaint, filed by the Attorney General’s Office, alleges that Bolsonaro led “a criminal organization structured to prevent the fulfillment of the popular will expressed in the 2022 elections, implying his continued rule without the endorsement of universal suffrage.” The evidence presented is extensive and includes the testimony of Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro’s personal secretary, who confessed to his role and cooperated with prosecutors. Cid’s statements helped investigators gather hundreds of messages and documents detailing the preparations for the alleged plot.
Central to the prosecution’s case is the claim that Bolsonaro began sowing doubt about Brazil’s electronic voting system as early as 2021, laying the groundwork to contest the 2022 election results. Prosecutors allege that he convened top Cabinet and military officials to discuss issuing an emergency decree that would suspend the election outcome and investigate alleged voting fraud. They also uncovered a draft decree purportedly intended to provide legal cover for annulling the election, as well as a document containing assassination plans targeting President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and the investigating judge, Alexandre de Moraes. The January 8, 2023, assault on the executive, legislative, and judicial headquarters in Brasília by Bolsonaro supporters is cited as the plot’s culmination, though Bolsonaro was in the United States at the time.
Despite the mountain of evidence, Bolsonaro and his defense team have consistently maintained his innocence. In his court statement in June, Bolsonaro insisted, “without a leader, without the Armed Forces, and without financial support, there is no coup.” He acknowledged holding meetings to discuss options for overturning the election result but argued that “the planning is not the execution. No matter how detailed the planning may be, it is the act of violence that actually consummates the crime,” as his lawyer Celso Vilardi told the justices during televised proceedings. Bolsonaro has repeatedly described the trial as a politically motivated “witch hunt,” echoing language used by his ally, U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump’s involvement in the saga has been unusually direct. Not only has he called the trial “a witch hunt that must end IMMEDIATELY!” in a July social media message, but he has also imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods and sanctioned judges involved in the case, including Alexandre de Moraes, in an explicit attempt to pressure the court. According to El País, this intervention has strained diplomatic relations between the United States and Brazil, with President Lula delivering a national message on September 7 affirming that Brazil “will not be anyone’s colony.”
Bolsonaro’s current circumstances are a far cry from his days in office. Since August 4, 2025, he has been under house arrest in Brasília, fitted with an electronic ankle tag and deemed a flight risk after investigators discovered a letter requesting asylum in Argentina. His passport was revoked in February 2024, and he faces strict prohibitions on contacting foreign authorities, approaching embassies, or using social media. He has cited health problems, including gastrointestinal issues and persistent hiccups, as the reason for his absence from court, and has requested permission to undergo skin surgery scheduled for Sunday, September 14.
The trial has also become a flashpoint for Brazil’s deeply polarized political landscape. On September 8, dozens of Bolsonaro loyalists gathered outside his home to pray for him and protest the Supreme Court’s actions. His wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, addressed tens of thousands of supporters in São Paulo, affirming his love for the country. Meanwhile, the push for amnesty for those convicted in connection with the January 8 assault has intensified, with several governors pledging to pardon Bolsonaro if they win the presidency in 2026. More than 1,200 people involved in the invasion have already been tried and sentenced to prison terms of up to 17 years.
The Supreme Court’s deliberations are expected to be both transparent and swift. The sessions are broadcast live, and public access to the courtroom is guaranteed. Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who leads the investigation and trial, is scheduled to cast the first vote, with decisions proceeding in alphabetical order by defendant name. A majority of three votes among the five justices is sufficient for conviction. While a judge could request a postponement of up to 90 days to study the case further, legal experts consider this unlikely. Once guilt or innocence is determined, the justices will debate sentencing. If their recommendations differ, a single justice will determine an average sentence and any applicable fines.
The trial’s outcome will resonate far beyond Brazil’s borders. As Rubens Glezer, a professor of constitutional law at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation, told El País, “This is a test of strength regarding the courts’ ability to punish authoritarian leaders who attempt coups. In that sense, the significance goes beyond Brazil. It’s profoundly important for Latin America, but also for the world.”
The verdict, expected by Friday, September 12, could reshape Brazil’s political future and set a powerful precedent for how democracies confront threats from within their own ranks. As the nation waits, the world watches—wondering whether justice, transparency, and the rule of law will prevail in the face of extraordinary pressure and historic stakes.