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Bolsonaro Appeals to Full Supreme Court to Overturn 27-Year Coup Conviction

09:32 AM, 11/29/2025

Bolsonaro's legal team has filed a new appeal asking Brazil's full Supreme Court to annul his 27-year sentence for allegedly plotting to block Lula's inauguration. The defense cites a single dissent on the five-judge panel that convicted him and seeks a declaration of innocence, though prior appeals have been rejected. Bolsonaro was detained after allegedly tampering with an ankle monitor and is held at police headquarters; his lawyers request home confinement on health grounds. His absence leaves Brazil's conservative bloc without a clear leader ahead of the 2026 race.

Lawyers for former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro filed a fresh appeal on Friday asking the country's full Supreme Court to annul his conviction and overturn a 27-year prison sentence tied to a plot to block Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's 2023 inauguration.

The defense requests "the annulment of the criminal process" and a formal declaration of innocence, citing the lone dissenting vote on the five-judge panel that originally convicted Bolsonaro in September. That panel found him guilty by a 4-1 margin on charges related to a scheme prosecutors say aimed to prevent Lula from taking office and allegedly included plans to kill the veteran leftist.

Bolsonaro's lawyers have asked the full 11-member bench to review the case and set aside the verdict. An earlier appeal was already rejected, and the smaller court section that issued the conviction has said legal avenues to challenge the decision are largely exhausted. It remains unclear whether the full court will accept the new appeal or whether it has realistic prospects for success.

Detention and ankle monitor incident

Bolsonaro, 70, had been under house arrest until last Saturday, when authorities detained him at a police facility in Brasilia after alleging he tampered with his ankle monitor using a soldering iron. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said there were indications Bolsonaro might have planned to flee during a vigil organized by his son, citing the nearby U.S. embassy and Bolsonaro's international ties as factors that raised concern about a possible attempt to seek asylum.

Since his detention, Bolsonaro has been held at police headquarters in a room with basic comforts such as a television, mini-fridge and air conditioning. His legal team is seeking a return to home confinement, citing health problems stemming from a stabbing attack he suffered in 2018.

Political fallout

Bolsonaro, a former army captain who reshaped Brazil's right and polarized national politics during his 2019–2022 presidency, remains a central figure for conservatives. With him effectively sidelined, Brazil's large conservative electorate approaches the 2026 presidential race without an obvious standard-bearer. President Lula, now 80, has said he will seek another term.

“The unfair conviction imposed on Jair Messias Bolsonaro must be submitted for the scrutiny of the Full Chamber of the Federal Supreme Court so that, in the end, his innocence is recognized and declared,” the defense petition reads.

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