In the trial over an alleged coup attempt, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro is seeking acquittal before the Supreme Court. According to his lawyers, there is “not a single piece of evidence” linking him to the coup plans. The trial is now entering its final phase. Bolsonaro is being prosecuted for allegedly planning an attempt to overthrow the government of his successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, after his electoral defeat in 2022.
The Attorney General’s Office views him as the main actor in “the most serious acts aimed at destroying the democratic legal order” in Brazil. The defense’s final statement takes a different view: the accusations are “the result of conclusions and distorted interpretations of actions and statements taken out of context,” the news portal G1 quoted from the nearly 200-page final submission. Lawyers: Always defended ‘democracy’
The lawyers for the right-wing former president rejected the charges. Bolsonaro “never joined any alleged conspiracy” and there is “not a single piece of evidence” connecting him to the plans or to the unrest. “He has always defended democracy and the rule of law” and never tried to prevent his successor Lula from taking office.
Bolsonaro also accused the press of carrying out a “media massacre” and of bias. Following the final statements from both the Attorney General’s Office and the defense, the trial has entered its final stage. A decision on whether to convict or acquit Bolsonaro and the co-defendants is expected in the coming weeks. The 70-year-old is currently under house arrest, ordered by federal judge Alexandre de Moraes for alleged violations of his conditions.
