247 - Former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) could face a severe prison sentence in the ongoing coup plot trial at the Supreme Federal Court (STF). The case, currently being analyzed by the First Panel, involves eight defendants, but Bolsonaro is seen as the central figure in the attempt to undermine the democratic system and the outcome of the 2022 elections.
According to a report in Folha de S. Paulo, although generals and former military ministers are also among the accused, such as Augusto Heleno and Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, their legal situations appear less serious in the final stretch of the process. The trial will resume on Tuesday (10) and is expected to conclude next Friday (12), when the sentences of all those involved will be defined.
The threat of conviction for Bolsonaro
Bolsonaro is responding to accusations that he masterminded and encouraged plans to prevent President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office. The Attorney General's Office claims that the former president used the public sector, his influence over the military, and his political base to try to undermine trust in electronic voting machines and pave the way for an institutional rupture.
Supreme Court justices interviewed by stated that the evidence against Bolsonaro is more consistent than that presented against the other defendants. The former president is accused of leading meetings in which illegal alternatives to challenge the election results were discussed, in addition to encouraging misinformation about the Electoral Court.
According to court officials, the possibility of a heavy sentence has not been ruled out. A decision along these lines would reinforce the understanding that Bolsonaro went beyond political rhetoric and acted directly to try to derail the transition of power.
Situation of the generals in the process
In contrast, Generals Augusto Heleno and Paulo Sérgio Nogueira enter the final phase of the trial in a relatively more favorable position. Heleno, former Minister of the Institutional Security Cabinet, was accused of constructing a narrative against the ballot box, but his defense managed to undermine the evidence presented by the Federal Police. Paulo Sérgio, former Defense Minister, presented testimony that portrays him as a figure opposed to coup plots, although his critical stance toward the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) in 2022 still weighs against him.
Other defendants—such as Alexandre Ramagem, Almir Garnier, Anderson Torres, Mauro Cid, and Walter Braga Netto—are also awaiting the determination of their legal fates. However, none of them has as much prominence as Bolsonaro, who remains at the center of the case.
