Brazil’s Supreme Court Opens Trial Against Bolsonaro Over Coup Attempt

The former president faces charges of plotting to overturn 2022 election results.

On Tuesday, Cristiano Zanin, president of the First Panel of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF), opened the trial against former President Jair Bolsonaro (2019–2022) and seven former officials accused of participating in the attempted coup to overturn the results of the 2022 elections.

The trial began at 9:11 a.m. local time in Brasilia and is being broadcast on the court’s internal television signal to ensure transparency. The First Panel is composed of justices Flavio Dino, Carmen Lucia, Luiz Fux and Alexandre de Moraes, who is the reporting judge on the case.

“The pacification of the country, which is everyone’s desire, depends on respect for the Constitution, the application of the laws and the strengthening of institutions,” De Moraes said during the reading of the report supporting the accusations in the coup plot case.

In his remarks, he referenced alleged pressure from the U.S. government seeking to influence the trial of Bolsonaro. De Moraes stressed that the STF aims to judge impartially and apply justice in each case, “ignoring internal or external pressures.”

The trial is considered historic, as it marks the first time the STF has judged a former president accused of attempting a coup.

The far-right politician Bolsonaro did not attend the court session, citing health reasons, according to his defense lawyers. He is expected to skip the eight scheduled sessions on Sept. 2, 3, 9, 10 and 12.

“He’s hiding! Bolsonaro feared facing Alexandre de Moraes and decided not to go to trial before the Supreme Court. He cited health problems and hid at home. Were you moved by this poor man?” commented Professor Vinicios Betiol.

Authorities also reinforced security around the court headquarters and restricted access to Brasilia’s Ministries Esplanade during the proceedings.

Brazil’s Attorney General Paulo Gonet accused Bolsonaro of being the “main architect” of actions aimed at breaking the democratic order to stay in power after his electoral defeat to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

For the same case, charges were also brought against former ministers Anderson Torres (Justice), Augusto Heleno (Institutional Security Office), Braga Netto (Presidential Office) and Paulo Sergio Nogueira (Defense).

“It does not take extraordinary intellectual effort to realize that when the president of the republic and later the defense minister summon the military leadership to present a document formalizing a coup, the criminal process is already under way,” Gonet said, referring to the planning carried out by Bolsonaro and his allies.

The list of defendants also includes former Navy commander Almir Garnier, former director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency Alexandre Ramagem, and Bolsonaro’s personal aide Mauro Cid.

They all face charges of belonging to an armed criminal organization, attempting to violently abolish the democratic rule of law, coup d’etat, aggravated damage through violence, and deterioration of protected property.

The court’s decision will be made by a simple majority of three of the five justices on the First Panel. Convictions could exceed 40 years in prison. However, a request to suspend the trial for further review could delay proceedings for up to 90 days.