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Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Brazilian ex-President Jair Bolsonaro echoes Trump by describing coup plot trial as a 'witch hunt'
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil's chief prosecutor has called for a guilty verdict in the case of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial accused of leading an alleged coup plot. 'The evidence is clear: the defendant acted systematically, throughout his mandate and after his defeat at the polls, to incite insurrection and the destabilization of the democratic rule of law,' Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet said in a 517-long page document released late Monday. Bolsonaro is accused of seeking to overturn the 2022 election in which he was defeated by a left-wing rival. 'All the accusations are false. I never violated democracy or the constitution,' Bolsonaro said on X hours before Gonet submitted his final report. The ex-president said that the trial was a 'witch hunt,' echoing a term used by U.S. President Donald Trump when he came to his South American ally's defense last week. The prosecution accuses Bolsonaro of leading an armed criminal organization, attempting to stage a coup and attempting violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, aggravated damage and deterioration of listed heritage. The defence will present its case shortly. Then the panel of Supreme Court justices that opened a trial against the former leader will vote on whether to convict or acquit him. Experts expect that to happen in the second half of the year. 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's the target of political persecution. A lawyer for Bolsonaro didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Last week, Trump imposed a 50% import tax on Brazil, directly tying the tariffs to Bolsonaro's trial. The U.S. president has hosted the former Brazilian president at his Mar-a-Lago resort when both were in power in 2020. Last week, he compared the Brazilian's situation to his own. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump repeated the claim that the trial is a 'witch hunt.' 'Bolsonaro is not a dishonest man,' he said. 'Nobody is happy with what Brazil is doing because Bolsonaro was a respected president.' Trump added that Bolsonaro isn't a friend, but someone he knows. Gonet formally charged Bolsonaro and 33 others in February in connection with an alleged coup days after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office. Gonet said Bolsonaro's actions 'were not limited to a passive stance of resistance to defeat, but were a conscious effort to create an environment conducive to violence and a coup.' He added that 'the criminal organization documented almost all of the actions described in the indictment through recordings, handwritten notes, digital files, spreadsheets and exchanges of electronic messages.' The prosecution is also seeking convictions for several close allies of Bolsonaro, including his running mate during the 2022 election and former defense minister, Walter Braga Netto, ex-Justice Minister Anderson Torres and his aide-de-camp Mauro Cid. Brazil's Supreme Court president, Justice Luís Roberto Barroso, said that the U.S. 'sanctions' — a reference to Trump's tariffs — are based on 'an inaccurate understanding' of events. 'For those who didn't live through a dictatorship or don't remember one, it's worth remembering: there was a lack of freedom, torture, forced disappearances, the closure of Congress, and the persecution of judges. In today's Brazil, no one is persecuted,' Barroso 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. Eléonore Hughes, The Associated Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Al Jazeera
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Bolsonaro tried to ‘incite insurrection', prosecutor tells Brazil top court
Brazil's chief prosecutor has called for a guilty verdict in the case of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, who has denied accusations of leading an alleged coup plot. 'The evidence is clear: the defendant acted systematically, throughout his mandate and after his defeat at the polls, to incite insurrection and the destabilisation of the democratic rule of law,' Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet said in a 517-page document released late on Monday. Bolsonaro is accused of seeking to overturn the 2022 election in which he was defeated by a left-wing rival. 'All the accusations are false. I never violated democracy or the constitution,' Bolsonaro said on X hours before Gonet submitted his final allegations. He said the trial was a 'witch hunt', echoing a term used by US President Donald Trump when he came to his South American ally's defence last week. The prosecution accuses Bolsonaro of leading an armed criminal organisation, attempting to stage a coup and attempting violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, aggravated damage and deterioration of listed heritage. The defence will present its case shortly. Then the panel of Supreme Court justices that opened a trial against the former president will vote on whether to convict or acquit him. Experts expect that to happen in the second half of the year. 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. Trump last week imposed a 50 percent import tax on Brazil, directly tying the tariffs to Bolsonaro's trial. The US president has described Bolsonaro as a friend. Trump said that Brazil 'is doing a terrible thing in their treatment' of Bolsonaro. Gonet formally charged Bolsonaro and 33 others in February in connection with an alleged coup days after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office. The former president's supporters stormed and ransacked the National Congress and other state institutions in January 2023 to reject Lula's victory. After his defeat weeks earlier, Bolsonaro had declined to publicly concede his loss. Police have accused Bolsonaro aides of attempting to disrupt the transfer of power to spark a military coup. Before the election, Bolsonaro had suggested without evidence that the vote could be marred by fraud. In his filing, Gonet said Bolsonaro's actions 'were not limited to a passive stance of resistance to defeat, but were a conscious effort to create an environment conducive to violence and a coup'. He added that 'the criminal organisation documented almost all of the actions described in the indictment through recordings, handwritten notes, digital files, spreadsheets, and exchanges of electronic messages'. The prosecution is also seeking convictions for several close allies of Bolsonaro, including his running mate during the 2022 election, his former Defense Minister Walter Braga Netto; ex-Justice Minister Anderson Torres; and his aide-de-camp Mauro Cid. Brazil's Supreme Court president, Justice Luis Roberto Barroso, said the US 'sanctions' — a reference to Trump's tariffs — are based on 'an inaccurate understanding' of events. 'For those who didn't live through a dictatorship or don't remember one, it's worth remembering: there was a lack of freedom, torture, forced disappearances, the closure of Congress, and the persecution of judges. In today's Brazil, no one is persecuted,' Barroso said. On Monday, senior US diplomat Darren Beattie accused the Brazilian government of 'attacks' on Bolsonaro and freedom of expression. 'Such attacks are a disgrace and fall well below the dignity of Brazil's democratic traditions,' Beattie said in a social media post. 'President Trump's statements are clear. We will be watching closely.'
Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Brazil's Bolsonaro echoes Trump by describing coup plot trial as a ‘witch hunt'
Brazil's chief prosecutor has called for a guilty verdict in the case of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial accused of leading an alleged coup plot. 'The evidence is clear: the defendant acted systematically throughout his mandate and after his defeat at the polls to incite insurrection and the destabilization of the democratic rule of law,' Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet said in a 517-long page document released late on Monday. Bolsonaro is accused of seeking to overturn the 2022 election in which he was defeated by a left-wing rival. 'All the accusations are false. I never violated democracy or the constitution,' Bolsonaro said on X hours before Gonet submitted his final allegations. He said the trial was a 'witch hunt,' echoing a term used by US President Donald Trump when he came to his South American ally's defense last week. The prosecution accuses Bolsonaro of leading an armed criminal organization attempting to stage a coup and attempting violent abolition of the democratic rule of law aggravated damage and deterioration of listed heritage. The defense will present its case shortly. Then the panel of Supreme Court justices that opened a trial against the former president will vote on whether to convict or acquit him. Experts expect that to happen in the second half of the year. 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. A lawyer for Bolsonaro did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump last week imposed a 50 percent import tax on Brazil directly tying the tariffs to Bolsonaro's trial. The US president has described Bolsonaro as a 'friend' and hosted the former Brazilian president at his Mar-a-Lago resort when both were in power in 2020. Trump said that 'Brazil is doing a terrible thing in their treatment of Bolsonaro.' He added that Bolsonaro is not guilty of anything except for having fought for the people and compared the Brazilian's situation to his own. Gonet formally charged Bolsonaro and 33 others in February in connection with an alleged coup days after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office. Gonet said Bolsonaro's actions were not limited to a passive stance of resistance to defeat but were a conscious effort to create an environment conducive to violence and a coup. He added that the criminal organization documented almost all of the actions described in the indictment through recordings handwritten notes digital files spreadsheets and exchanges of electronic messages. The prosecution is also seeking convictions for several close allies of Bolsonaro including his running mate during the 2022 election and former defense minister Walter Braga Netto, ex-Justice Minister Anderson Torres, and his aide-de-camp Mauro Cid. Brazil's Supreme Court president Justice Luís Roberto Barroso said the US sanctions – a reference to Trump's tariffs – are based on an inaccurate understanding of events. 'For those who didn't live through a dictatorship or don't remember one it's worth remembering: there was a lack of freedom torture forced disappearances the closure of Congress and the persecution of judges. In today's Brazil no one is persecuted,' Barroso 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.
Boston Globe
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Brazil ex-President Bolsonaro will stand trial over an alleged coup plan. Here's what happens next.
What charges does Bolsonaro face? Bolsonaro will stand trial on the counts of attempting to stage a coup, involvement in an armed criminal organization, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, damage characterized by violence and a serious threat against the state's assets, and deterioration of listed heritage. Advertisement The five-justices panel of Brazil's Supreme Court ruled based on the indictment by Prosecutor-General, Paulo Gonet. His formal accusation came from a federal police investigation that placed Bolsonaro on the top of a criminal organization that had been active since at least 2021. Gonet also accused Bolsonaro of supporting a plan that allegedly included poisoning his successor, current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and killing Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. When does the trial start and what will happen? While a specific trial date has not been set, the chairman of the Supreme Court panel is expected to outline the procedural framework in the coming days. Eloísa Machado, a law professor at the Fundacao Getulio Vargas university in Sao Paulo, explained that the evidentiary phase of the criminal case, which includes defendant interrogations, witness testimony and further procedures such as expert examinations, begins. Many of those procedures will be conducted by auxiliary judges. 'Then, the rapporteur prepares a report and requests a trial date,' Machado said. 'After this stage, prosecutors and defense attorneys will present their final arguments before the court rules on whether to acquit or convict.' Bolsonaro's defense team had requested the case to be sent to the full Supreme Court, not just on the 5-justice panel, which could drag a ruling into 2026 as all 11 justices would have their say on the case. The request was denied. Advertisement Who will judge Bolsonaro? Brazil's top court is using one of its two permanent 5-justice panels to put Bolsonaro on trial. None of the five was appointed by Bolsonaro. As rapporteur of the case, justice de Moraes brought the charges to the one he sits on. The other four justices are Cármen Lúcia, considered one of the harshest on criminal cases; Cristiano Zanin, the chairman of the panel and Lula's attorney between 2013 and 2023; Flávio Dino, appointed by the leftist president in 2023 after serving as his justice minister; and Luiz Fux, the court's chief-justice between 2020 and 2022, considered a moderate. Will Bolsonaro go to jail? Brazilian criminal law mandates that arrests occur only after a final, unappealable conviction. The Supreme Court of Brazil, being the final appeals tribunal for criminal cases involving public authorities, possesses ultimate jurisdiction over Bolsonaro's case. If the former president takes any action that hampers the court's ability to deliver its ruling, such as seeking shelter in an embassy, he could be arrested before the trial ends. What has Bolsonaro said? Bolsonaro, who has been banned from running for office until 2030 for abuse of power and undermining confidence in the country's voting system, has denied wrongdoing and claims he is the target of political persecution. 'If I go to jail, I will give you a lot of work,' Bolsonaro said after Wednesday's Supreme Court's decision. Have other Brazilian presidents stood trial? Lula was convicted of corruption and money laundering by low court judge Sergio Moro in 2017, and had his sentence later upheld by a group of magistrates. He served more than a year and seven months in prison and was released after the Supreme Court changed its jurisprudence to forbid jail time for any Brazilian until all appeals are exhausted. Advertisement In 2021, the same court annulled Lula's sentence as it found Moro to be biased. Moro left his position as a federal judge to become Bolsonaro's justice minister. Michel Temer, who governed between 2016 and 2018 after Dilma Rousseff was impeached, was acquitted by a federal court in 2024 in a corruption and money laundering case. He was briefly arrested in 2019 under the accusation of profiting from fraudulent contracts between state-run Eletronuclear and companies AF Consult Ltd and Engevix during his time as vice president. Fernando Collor, who governed between 1990 and his impeachment in 1992, was sentenced to eight years and ten months in jail in 2023 for his role in a corruption scheme at then state-run BR Distribuidora. The sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court last year, but Collor is yet to be imprisoned. High-ranking military will be tried for the first time before the Supreme Court The inclusion of high-ranking military officials to stand trial in Brazil's top court is unprecedented, as the country's transition from a military dictatorship to democracy in the 1980s was marked by a sweeping amnesty for military personnel. Four high-ranking military officials who operated under Bolsonaro will stand trial. These are former Defense Minister Paulo Sérgio Nogueira; former Navy commander Almir Garnier Santos; retired Gen. Augusto Heleno, who headed the Institutional Security Office; and retired Gen. Walter Braga Netto, who served as Bolsonaro's chief of staff and defense minister. 'Four-star generals accused of plotting a coup are now likely to be convicted and punished under Brazil's democratic legal system,' said João Roberto Martins Filho, a political science professor at the Federal University of Sao Carlos and former president of the Brazilian Association of Defense Studies. 'Anyone who attempts a military-backed coup and fails could face consequences like what we're seeing now. They could end in prison.' Advertisement Associated Press writer Mauricio Savarese contributed to this report.
Reuters
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Brazil general prosecutor charges Bolsonaro for alleged coup plot
SAO PAULO, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Brazilian general prosecutor Paulo Gonet charged former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 election, its office said in a statement on Tuesday.
