Former president in court along with seven others accused of failed power grab after losing 2022 election
Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro and seven of his allies, including four senior members of the military, have gone on trial for allegedly attempting to stage a coup – the first time in Brazilian history such powerful figures have faced justice for seeking to topple the country’s democracy.
Bolsonaro, a paratrooper turned far-right populist who governed from 2019 until 2023, stands accused of masterminding a failed power grab after losing the 2022 election to the leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Bolsonaro and his seven alleged co-conspirators, including three army generals and the former head of the navy, face decades in jail if found guilty of being the driving force behind the unsuccessful plot.
On Tuesday morning, the supreme court began what is expected to be a two-week judgment of the group. Over the course of eight televised hearings held between 2 and 12 September, five supreme court judges will decide their fate.
