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Observer
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Prosecutor asks Brazil Supreme Court to find Bolsonaro guilty of coup
Brasília: A prosecutor asked Brazil's Supreme Court on Tuesday to find ex-president Jair Bolsonaro (pictured) guilty of plotting a coup, in closing arguments after a trial that saw US President Donald Trump try to intervene on behalf of his right-wing ally. Bolsonaro is accused of seeking to overturn the 2022 election won by his left-wing opponent, current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The prosecution told the court that former army officer Bolsonaro and seven others were guilty of participating in "armed criminal association" and had sought to "violently overthrow the democratic order." After the defense presents its closing arguments, a five-justice panel will decide the fate of the former president. If found guilty, Bolsonaro and his co-defendants could face up to 40 years in prison. Bolsonaro says he is the victim of political persecution, echoing Trump's defense when the US president faced criminal charges before his White House return. "It's not about imprisoning me; they want to eliminate me," he told news site Poder360 on Tuesday. Prosecutors say Bolsonaro tried to overturn his 2022 loss in a plot that only failed because the military did not side with him. Violent supporters then rioted, rampaging through government buildings in the capital Brasilia in scenes that echoed the assault on the US Capitol by Trump's supporters after the Republican lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. The trial has attracted attention from Trump, who returned to power in the 2024 election and continues to claim -- despite this being rejected repeatedly by the courts -- that he won in 2020. Trump has repeatedly called on social media for Bolsonaro's trial to be stopped, accusing the authorities in Brazil of mounting a "witch hunt" and a "disgrace." On July 9, he took his campaign to extraordinary new levels by announcing plans to tariff Brazilian imports to the United States at 50 per cent. And on Tuesday, Washington said it was opening an investigation into "unfair trading practices" by Brazil, a move that could provide a legal basis to justify imposing tariffs on South America's largest economy. — AFP
Straits Times
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Prosecutor asks Brazil Supreme Court to find Bolsonaro guilty of coup
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro is accused of seeking to overturn the 2022 election. BRASILIA - A prosecutor asked Brazil's Supreme Court on July 15 to find ex-president Jair Bolsonaro guilty of plotting a coup, in closing arguments after a trial that saw US President Donald Trump try to intervene on behalf of his right-wing ally. Bolsonaro is accused of seeking to overturn the 2022 election won by his left-wing opponent, current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The prosecution told the court that former army officer Bolsonaro and seven others were guilty of participating in 'armed criminal association' and had sought to 'violently overthrow the democratic order'. After the defence presents its closing arguments, a five-justice panel will decide the fate of the ex-president. If found guilty, Bolsonaro and his co-defendants could face up to 40 years in prison. Bolsonaro says he is the victim of a political persecution, echoing Mr Trump's defence when the US president faced criminal charges before his White House return. 'It's not about imprisoning me; they want to eliminate me,' he told news site Poder360 on July 15. Prosecutors say Bolsonaro tried to overturn his 2022 loss in a plot that only failed because the military did not side with him. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business US tariffs may last well after Trump; crucial for countries to deepen trade ties: SM Lee World Trump says Indonesia to face 19% tariff under trade deal Singapore 'Kpods broke our marriage, shattered our children': Woman on husband's vape addiction Singapore Las Vegas Sands' new development part of S'pore's broader, more ambitious transformation: PM Wong Multimedia Telling the Singapore story for 180 years Life Walking for exercise? Here are tips on how to do it properly Singapore CDL's long-time director Philip Yeo to depart after boardroom feud Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years Violent supporters then rioted, rampaging through government buildings in the capital Brasilia in scenes that echoed the assault on the US Capitol by Mr Trump's supporters after the Republican lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. The trial has attracted attention from Mr Trump, who returned to power in the 2024 election and continues to claim – despite this being rejected repeatedly by the courts – that he won in 2020. Mr Trump has repeatedly called on social media for Bolsonaro's trial to be stopped , accusing the authorities in Brazil of mounting a 'witch hunt' and a 'disgrace'. On July 9, he took his campaign to extraordinary new levels by announcing plans to tariff Brazilian imports to the United States at 50 per cent . Unlike the tariffs Mr Trump is slapping on countries around much of the world, including top US allies, the measures against Brazil – which are set to take effect on Aug 1 – were announced in openly political terms. Mr Trump cited 'Brazil's insidious attacks on Free Elections' among other issues, warning of further escalation if the country retaliated – something Mr Lula indicated would happen. On July 12, Mr Trump reiterated his claim that Bolsonaro was being unfairly treated. 'They're treating President Bolsonaro very unfairly,' Mr Trump told reporters, calling him 'a good man'. 'I know the honest ones, and I know the crooked ones,' he added. Mr Lula has hit back at Mr Trump's 'interference,' insisting that 'no one is above the law'. AFP
Boston Globe
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Brazilian ex-president Bolsonaro echoes Trump by describing his coup plot trial as a ‘witch hunt'
'None of this happened. I've always played within the rules,' Bolsonaro said in an interview with local outlet Poder360 on Tuesday. Advertisement Bolsonaro's trial The prosecution accuses the former president of leading an armed criminal organization, attempting to stage a coup and attempting violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, among other charges. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The defense will next present its case shortly, likely in the coming weeks, after which the panel of Supreme Court justices that opened the trial against Bolsonaro will vote on whether to convict or acquit him. Experts say a decision is expected in the second half of the year. A guilty verdict on the coup plot charge carries a sentence of up to 12 years, which could, along with guilty verdicts on other charges, bring decades behind bars. Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied the allegations and asserted that he's the target of political persecution. Advertisement 'What is a coup? It's the Armed Forces, it's tanks on the streets, it's having a political core, having a financial core,' Bolsonaro said on Tuesday. 'That's a coup. Nothing was even considered (...) and even if it had been considered, since nothing started, there's no crime.' A lawyer for Bolsonaro didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. A nod from Trump 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. On Tuesday, speaking to reporters at the White House, 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. On Monday, the office of the under secretary for public diplomacy at the U.S. State Department said on X that 'attacks' on Bolsonaro 'are a disgrace and fall well below the dignity of Brazil's democratic traditions.' The U.S. Embassy in Brazil reposted the message, adding a translation in Portuguese. Brazil's foreign ministry responded on Tuesday, saying those claims are 'further undue and unacceptable interference in matters under the jurisdiction of the Brazilian judiciary.' Building the case 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.' Advertisement He also said the case was strong because 'the criminal organization' behind the coup plot had 'documented almost all of the actions described in the indictment through recordings, handwritten notes, digital files, spreadsheets and exchanges of electronic messages.' The prosecution also seeks convictions for several close Bolsonaro allies, including his running mate in the 2022 election campaign and former defense minister, Walter Braga Netto, ex-Justice Minister Anderson Torres and Bolsonaro's 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,' Barroso said. 'In today's Brazil, no one is persecuted.' 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.
