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Jair Bolsonaro Ordered to Begin 27-Year Prison Term After Coup-Plot Conviction

Brazil’s ex-president Jair Bolsonaro has been ordered to begin a 27-year prison term in a 12 sq metre cell in Brasília after being convicted of leading a plot to block Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s return to office. The alleged scheme reportedly included plans to assassinate Lula and his running mate, but collapsed when senior military leaders refused to join. Several former ministers and senior officers also received multi-year sentences, while one ex-intelligence chief reportedly fled the United States.

12:42 AM, 11/26/2025Politics
Jair Bolsonaro Ordered to Begin 27-Year Prison Term After Coup-Plot Conviction

Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro has been ordered to start serving a 27-year prison sentence in a 12 sq metre cell at a police facility in Brasília after being convicted of leading a conspiracy to block Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office.

The sentence was handed down in September when the Supreme Court found Bolsonaro guilty of orchestrating a criminal plot that, prosecutors say, included plans to assassinate Lula and his running mate, Geraldo Alckmin. The scheme collapsed after senior military commanders refused to participate; the court concluded that Bolsonaro and six co-defendants sought to "annihilate" Brazilian democracy and restore authoritarian rule.

On Tuesday, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Bolsonaro to begin serving his term now that the appeals period has closed. Bolsonaro had been under house arrest since August and was placed into preventive custody after attempting to remove his electronic ankle monitor with a soldering iron.

Co-defendants and sentences

Six co-conspirators were also ordered to start their sentences:

  • Gen Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de Oliveira (former defence minister) – 19 years; held at the Planalto Military Command in Brasília.
  • Gen Augusto Heleno (former minister for institutional security) – 21 years; held at the Planalto Military Command.
  • Adm Almir Garnier Santos (former navy commander) – 24 years; reportedly detained on a navy base.
  • Gen Walter Braga Netto (former defence minister) – 26 years; already in custody since his arrest in December.
  • Anderson Torres (former justice minister) – 24 years; expected to be transferred to Papudinha, the Brasília penitentiary for police and other special inmates.
  • Alexandre Ramagem (former intelligence chief) – 16 years; reportedly fled to the United States to avoid imprisonment.

After visiting his father, Carlos Bolsonaro told reporters he was "psychologically devastated." Authorities say further transfers and enforcement actions are likely as the rulings are carried out.

Key point: The Supreme Court's decision marks a major development in Brazil's response to attempts to overturn democratic results, with multiple senior officials now facing long prison terms.

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