Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro appears in court over coup attempt charges

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has appeared in court for the first time as part of a case opened against him for allegedly attempting a coup against current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Testifying at the Brazilian Supreme Court, Bolsonaro denied the charges against him. When Judge Alexandre de Moraes asked if the accusations against him were true, Bolsonaro replied, "No."

Bolsonaro stated, "A coup was never discussed. A coup is a disgusting thing. Brazil could not have experienced such a thing. And there was never even a possibility of a coup in my government."

In addition to Bolsonaro, 7 figures close to him also appeared in court in the same case. Among those appearing in court are Bolsonaro's former aide and Defense Minister Walter Braga Netto, former ministers Anderson Torres and Augusto Heleno, and his former aide Mauro Cid. There are a total of 34 defendants in the case, including Bolsonaro.

The defendants are being tried for attempted coup, participation in an armed criminal organization, attempting to violently abolish the democratic rule of law, and causing severe damage and destruction to registered heritage.

If convicted of the coup charge, Bolsonaro could face up to 12 years in prison. In addition, if he is convicted of the other charges, Bolsonaro could face decades in prison.

THEY RAIDED THE CONGRESS BUILDING

In the 2022 presidential election in Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva received 50.9 percent of the vote, while Jair Bolsonaro received 49.1 percent. Bolsonaro supporters, who held days of highway blockades claiming there was fraud in the elections, had called on the armed forces to intervene against Lula taking office. One week after Lula took office, on January 8, 2023, Bolsonaro supporters breached police barriers and raided and damaged the National Congress Building, the Federal Supreme Court General Assembly, and the Planalto Palace. Bolsonaro and dozens of others accused of inciting the events were charged with planning a coup attempt.