Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Begins 27-Year Jail Term For Failed Coup Plot

Last Updated:November 26, 2025, 08:54 IST

The court also directed a military tribunal to decide whether Bolsonaro should be stripped of his captain’s rank.

The 70-year-old ex-army captain, once the dominant force of Brazil’s right wing (AFP)

Brazil’s Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered former president Jair Bolsonaro to begin serving a 27-year prison sentence for orchestrating a failed coup attempt aimed at blocking Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office after the 2022 election. The ruling came after Bolsonaro exhausted all remaining appeals, bringing a dramatic close to the far-right leader’s turbulent political career.

The 70-year-old ex-army captain, once the dominant force of Brazil’s right wing, is now confined to a small, secure room at federal police headquarters in Brasília, equipped with basic amenities including a TV, mini-fridge and air-conditioning. Bolsonaro was convicted in September for a plot that prosecutors say included plans to assassinate Lula, but ultimately collapsed when military commanders refused to back the scheme.

The court also directed a military tribunal to decide whether Bolsonaro should be stripped of his captain’s rank. Until Saturday, he had been under house arrest, but authorities detained him after discovering he had tampered with his ankle monitor using a soldering iron.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes said evidence suggested Bolsonaro was preparing to flee during a vigil planned by his son, pointing to the close proximity of the U.S. Embassy and Bolsonaro’s longstanding ties with former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Bolsonaro denied attempting to escape, claiming the incident was the result of “paranoia" brought on by medication. The Supreme Court ruled he will remain held in the officers’ ward — a space reserved for high-risk or protected detainees — where he is currently being kept.

Five of Bolsonaro’s co-defendants, including retired generals and former ministers, also began serving sentences ranging from 19 to 26 years. His former intelligence chief, Alexandre Ramagem, sentenced to 16 years, has been declared a fugitive after fleeing to the United States.

Bolsonaro’s lawyer Paulo Cunha Bueno called the court’s rapid closure of the case “surprising," saying the defence would continue to appeal despite the decision being final.

Bolsonaro is now the fourth former Brazilian president to be jailed since the end of military rule in 1985. His legal team is seeking the same treatment granted to former president Fernando Collor de Mello, who was allowed to serve his sentence at home for health reasons. Bolsonaro has a long history of medical issues stemming from a 2018 stabbing, requiring multiple surgeries, and suffers from severe gastric problems that cause persistent hiccups, breathing difficulties and fainting spells.

His family has highlighted his deteriorating condition, with son Carlos Bolsonaro describing him after a visit as “extremely fragile and psychologically devastated," adding that the former president has barely been eating. Bolsonaro maintains he is innocent and the victim of political persecution.

With Bolsonaro now out of the political arena, Brazil’s conservative bloc heads toward the 2026 presidential election without a unifying figure. President Lula, now 80, has already announced plans to seek a fourth term — despite having served jail time himself before the Supreme Court overturned his corruption conviction.

News world Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Begins 27-Year Jail Term For Failed Coup Plot

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