Brazil's former president Bolsonaro appeals 27-year prison sentence over 2022 coup plot
The legal team representing Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro has submitted an appeal to the Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF), seeking a review of the 27-year prison sentence handed down for his involvement in plotting to overturn the 2022 election.
Bolsonaro was convicted on five counts, including participation in an armed criminal organisation, attempting the violent abolition of democracy and directing a coup. The majority verdict, delivered by a panel of the Supreme Court in September 2025, marked the first time in Brazil’s history that a former president was found guilty of attempting to subvert democratic institutions.
His lawyers argue that some of the charges overlap and contend that enforcing cumulative penalties violates his rights. They filed an 85-page motion asking for the sentence to be reduced or the ruling reviewed, citing the dissenting vote and what they describe as “accusatory excess”.
Bolsonaro remains under house arrest and awaits the outcome of the appeal process. The next step will be a full court decision on whether the appeal will be accepted by all eleven Justices of the STF. Analysts say even if the appeal is denied, the political impact of the ruling will continue to reverberate throughout Brazil’s upcoming 2026 elections.
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