Lawyers for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday filed an appeal against last month’s Supreme Court ruling that sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison. This is reported by the Reuters news agency. The former president was sentenced to death for plotting a coup to remain in power after his election defeat in 2022.
In an 85-page petition, Bolsonaro’s lawyers disputed parts of the conviction, including the length of the sentence imposed. They also say that there are “ambiguities, incompleteness, contradictions and ambiguities” in the Supreme Court’s ruling. The lawyers previously announced that they would appeal.
There is no specific deadline for the Supreme Court judges to rule on the appeal. Bolsonaro cannot be sent to prison until all possible legal remedies have been exhausted. Until then, the 70-year-old former president is under house arrest.
Condemnation
In September, four of the five Supreme Court judges voted in favor of convicting Bolsonaro. They convicted him of five crimes, including participation in an armed criminal organization, attempting to abolish democracy by force and organizing a coup.
Typically, people convicted by the Supreme Court in Brazil need at least two judges who differed in their verdict to be able to appeal in a way that could materially change the verdict. With only one judge dissenting, Bolsonaro’s lawyers filed a limited request asking for clarification or review of specific parts of the conviction.
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