A majority of four judges found the 70-year-old guilty of plotting to claw back power after his defeat in the October 2022 elections. The verdict was described as 'incredibly excessive' by Bolsonaro's lawyers, who plan to appeal, 'including at the international level.'

The Brazilian ex-president is accused of plotting a coup to cling to power, which he denies.

The presumptive ruling by a majority of five judges makes him the first ex-president in the country to be convicted for attacking democracy.