Brazil’s Supreme Court rejects final appeal, clearing the way for Bolsonaro to begin serving his sentence.
Brazil’s Supreme Court on Tuesday confirmed that former president Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction over a 2022 coup plot is final, allowing him to begin serving a 27-year prison sentence.
Bolsonaro, 70, was convicted in September for attempting to prevent leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from assuming office after the 2022 elections, in a case that included allegations of an assassination plot.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court rejected his appeal, ruling the judgment could no longer be challenged.
Until recently, Bolsonaro had been under house arrest, but he was detained at police headquarters in Brasilia on Saturday after tampering with his ankle monitor using a soldering iron.
Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes cited “very serious indications of a possible attempt to flee” during a vigil organized by Bolsonaro’s son outside his residence. The judge noted Bolsonaro’s proximity to the U.S. embassy and his past relationship with former U.S. President Donald Trump as factors suggesting he could have sought political asylum.
During a hearing on Sunday, Bolsonaro claimed he “experienced a certain paranoia between Friday and Saturday due to medication” and insisted he had no intention of fleeing, nor had the bracelet’s strap been broken.
A court-released video showed Bolsonaro offering a different explanation, saying he had used a soldering iron on the monitoring device out of “curiosity.”
Before the incident, Bolsonaro’s lawyers had petitioned the court to allow him to serve his sentence at home due to health concerns, a request that was not granted.