Brazil's Supreme Court responds to our leader
I would like to clarify a few points in your leader on Brazil's Supreme Court ('The rule of law', April 19th). You recount some of the threats to democracy in Brazil, though not all. These include the invasion of the headquarters of the three branches of government by a mob incited by extremists; encampments of thousands outside military barracks calling for the ousting of the elected president; an attempted terrorist attack at Brasília's airport; and an attempted bombing of the Federal Supreme Court. And, of course, an alleged coup attempt, which included a plan to assassinate the president, the vice-president and a justice of the court.
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Brazil's Bolsonaro takes the stand before the Supreme Court over alleged coup plot
Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro appeared before the Supreme Court for the first time Tuesday and denied participation in an alleged plot to remain in power and overturn the 2022 election result as he faces charges that could bring decades behind bars. Many Brazilians followed the trial, which was streamed online. The country was shaken by the January 2023 riot in which the Supreme Court, Congress and presidential palace were ransacked. The far-right politician, appearing relaxed, and seven allies were being questioned by a panel of judges over allegations they devised a scheme to keep Bolsonaro in office despite his loss to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. 'There was never any talk of a coup. A coup is an abominable thing," Bolsonaro said. 'Brazil couldn't go through an experience like that. And there was never even the possibility of a coup in my government.' The far-right politician admitted to discussing 'possibilities' with the heads of the armed forces following Lula's win, but within constitutional limits. He didn't give details. Bolsonaro's questioning lasted just over two hours. At one point, he joked with Justice Alexandre de Moraes — whose planned killing was part of the plot, the prosecutor-general has alleged — a contrast to the sharp words Bolsonaro has aimed at the court in the past. Bolsonaro could face decades in prison The defendants are standing trial on five counts: attempting to stage a coup, involvement in an armed criminal organization, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, aggravated damage and deterioration of listed heritage. A coup conviction carries a sentence of up to 12 years. A conviction on that and other charges could bring decades behind bars. The former president has repeatedly denied the allegations and asserted that he is the target of political persecution. When asked by de Moraes at the beginning of questioning whether the accusation was true, Bolsonaro replied, 'The accusation does not hold, your excellency.' He said that even if he had wanted to impose a 'state of siege,' the measures would have been different. 'There was no environment for it, no opportunity. We didn't have even a minimally solid base to do anything,' he said. The eight defendants are accused of making up the plan's core group. Justices are also questioning Bolsonaro's former running mate and defense minister Walter Braga Netto, former ministers Anderson Torres and Augusto Heleno and ex aide-de-camp Mauro Cid, among others. Judges will hear from 26 other defendants at a later date. The court has already heard from dozens of witnesses in hearings that began in mid-May. Cid, who has signed a plea bargain with the federal police, told the court on Monday that Bolsonaro read and edited a document that aimed at canceling the election result. Cid also said Bolsonaro refused to interfere regarding camps that supporters set up in front of army facilities calling for a military intervention after the election loss. Many of those followers were later part of the Jan. 8, 2023 riot. Police say their uprising — which occurred after Lula was sworn in — was an attempt to force military intervention and oust the new president. Prosecutor: Riot part of scheme to overturn election results Bolsonaro on Tuesday referred to supporters who were calling for a military intervention as 'crazy.' Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet alleges the riot was part of a scheme to overturn the election result. Part of that plot allegedly included a plan to kill Lula and de Moraes. The plan did not go ahead at the last minute because the accused failed to get the army's commander on board, according to Gonet. On Tuesday, Bolsonaro said he had learned about the plot, which received the sinister name of 'Green and Yellow Dagger,' when it was reported in the press. 'If it had been proposed, in my view, it would have been rejected, with immediate action taken,' he said. Bolsonaro, a former military officer who was known to express nostalgia for the country's past dictatorship, openly defied Brazil's judicial system during his 2019-2022 term in office. He has been banned by Brazil's top electoral court from running in elections until 2030 over abuse of power while in office and casting unfounded doubts on the country's electronic voting system. A watershed trial Thiago Bottino, a law professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, a think tank and university, called the trial historic. 'It's the first time we see people accused of an attempted coup are being subjected to a criminal trial, with the guarantees of due criminal process, being able to defend themselves but answering for these accusations,' he said. The trial is particularly significant in light of the fact that Brazil's constitution was adopted in 1988, less than four decades ago, Bottino said. Brazil is showing that it has 'the democratic maturity to be able to use due process to investigate this type of accusation and, if necessary, hold those responsible accountable,' he said. ___
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Bolsonaro denies orchestrating Brazil coup in Supreme Court testimony
BRASILIA, June 10 (Reuters) - Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro denied that he led an attempt to overthrow the government after losing the 2022 election during his trial before the country's Supreme Court on Tuesday, but acknowledged taking part in meetings aimed at reversing the outcome. Bolsonaro said he and senior aides discussed alternatives to accepting the electoral results, including the possibility of deploying military forces and suspending some civil liberties, but he said those proposals were soon dropped. "The feeling was that there was nothing else we could do. We had to swallow the election results," the ex-president said. "I never acted against the Constitution," Bolsonaro added, holding a copy of the country's 1988 charter that re-established democracy after two decades of military rule. In March, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case against Bolsonaro and seven other people, including several military officers, who were charged with plotting a coup to stop Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office in January 2023. The charges stem from a two-year police investigation into the election-denying movement that culminated in riots by Bolsonaro supporters in the capital in early 2023, a week after Lula took office. Bolsonaro, who was the sixth defendant to testify in the case, spent several minutes of his two hours of testimony defending his administration's achievements and his criticism of the country's electoral system. Dozens of witnesses were previously heard by the court, an indication that the case is moving swiftly and could be concluded by the end of the year, avoiding overlap with campaigning for the 2026 presidential election. Bolsonaro has insisted he will run in that campaign, despite an electoral court decision barring him from seeking public office until 2030. On Monday, Bolsonaro attended the trial to watch testimony from Mauro Cid, his former aide turned whistleblower, and then shook his hand. Cid told the court that the former president reviewed a draft decree that was central to the coup plot and made changes, while keeping a section that ordered the arrest of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is now overseeing the case against Bolsonaro and his allies. On Tuesday, the former president said he only briefly saw the draft decree and never edited it. He also apologized for making unfounded corruption allegations about Supreme Court justices. "Forgive me," he told Moraes. A final ruling on Bolsonaro's case is expected by October.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Public's confidence in Police Scotland could be damaged by gender ruling inaction
Public confidence in policing is under threat because of a lack of progress on implementing the Supreme Court 's transgender ruling, it was claimed yesterday. Katharina Kasper, a member of the board of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), questioned whether there was a 'policy vacuum' over whether rapists can self-identify as women. In a bombshell judgment in April, the Supreme Court stated the words 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex. Top brass had promised a full report on updates to their guidance but yesterday presented an 'interim' report on progress - which Ms Kasper said was 'disappointing'. Last night Scottish Tory equalities spokesman Tess White said: 'Even SPA board members are rightly raising concerns about Police Scotland dragging its feet on the Supreme Court ruling. 'This should not be up for debate and the public will understandably be asking why the force is still not complying with its legal obligations. 'SNP ministers must issue an urgent directive to all public bodies, including Police Scotland, to follow the law immediately so that the public retain confidence in their decision-making.' At a virtual meeting of the SPA's policing performance committee, Ms Kasper challenged Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs and Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton about trans issues. Ms Kasper voiced a 'degree of frustration', adding: 'I am concerned about public confidence in Police Scotland because this process has been taking so long, and about the impact on officers and staff.' She said Police Scotland's policy on recording gender remained unclear despite the Supreme Court ruling which should have cleared up any confusion. In March, police chiefs asked an equalities watchdog – the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) - for advice about whether they should allow rapists to self-identify as women, and provide single-sex changing rooms for staff. Last year Chief Constable Jo Farrell said the public and MSPs should be 'assured' that a man who commits rape or serious sexual assault will always be recorded as male. In March, the Mail revealed that this stance, which campaigners said was a major policy U-turn, was not communicated to officers, sparking claims that police may have misled parliament. Responding to Ms Kasper, Ms Paton said 'policing is not immune to the complexity of this issue', adding that she 'acknowledged [Ms Kasper's] frustration', while Mr Speirs said she 'understood' her concerns. It came after Ms White raised a formal complaint with Police Scotland about a 'shocking' internal document which compared gender-critical campaigners to Nazis. She was prompted to act after the Mail revealed the paper said 'gender binary' - the belief there are two genders - was a 'key feature' of Hitler's ideology.
