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Bolsonaro’s lawyers appeal to reduce 27-year sentence in coup plot case
Brasilia, October 28, 2025 — Lawyers representing former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro have filed an appeal to reduce his 27-year prison sentence handed down by the Supreme Court for allegedly plotting a coup to remain in power after his 2022 electoral defeat.
In an 85-page motion, Bolsonaro’s defense team asked the court to review parts of the conviction, claiming that the ruling included “deep injustices.” The appeal, known in Brazil as a motion for clarification, seeks to correct or reduce penalties but does not allow for a full retrial.
Last month, a Supreme Court panel of five judges found Bolsonaro guilty of five charges, including participation in an armed criminal organization, attempting to abolish democracy by force, and organizing a coup d’état. Only one judge, Luiz Fux, dissented, voting to acquit.
Bolsonaro’s lawyers argued that convicting him of both organizing a coup and attempting to abolish democracy amounted to double punishment for the same alleged act. They also emphasized Justice Fux’s dissenting opinion as proof of “accusatory excess” in the majority decision.
The Supreme Court is expected to vote on the appeal in November. Until all legal avenues are exhausted, Bolsonaro will remain under house arrest, where he has been held since August amid accusations that he sought political interference from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports and sanctioned the judge overseeing the case.
