Brazil’s Supreme Court Is On Course to Convict Bolsonaro in Coup Plot

A majority of voting justices said they plan to vote to convict Brazil’s former president of trying to hold onto power. A final verdict could come Thursday.

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Former President Jair Bolsonaro was accused of orchestrating a vast plot to stay in power after he lost the 2022 election.Credit...Victor Moriyama for The New York Times

By Ana Ionova

Reporting from Brazil’s Supreme Court in Brasília, the capital.

Sept. 11, 2025

Update: Brazil’s Supreme Court has convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Brazil’s Supreme Court on Thursday moved toward convicting former President Jair Bolsonaro of plotting to stage a coup after three of the five justices presiding over his trial said he had conspired to cling to office after losing the 2022 election.

Mr. Bolsonaro has been accused of overseeing a vast conspiracy that prosecutors say included plans to overturn the vote and assassinate the election’s winner, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva before he took office as president.

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Ana Ionova is a contributor to The Times based in Rio de Janeiro, covering Brazil and neighboring countries.

See more on: Jair Bolsonaro, Supreme Federal Court (Brazil), Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Alexandre de Moraes, Donald Trump

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