Accusing of plotting a coup… A Brazilian court will issue its ruling in September against former President Bolsonaro

Brazil’s Supreme Court announced Friday that it will hold extraordinary sessions starting September 2 to consider whether former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro is guilty of plotting a coup and to decide on the penalty if convicted.

Bolsonaro is accused of attempting to seize power after losing the 2022 election to current Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and could face up to 40 years in prison.

The Supreme Court statement said the ruling will be considered during extraordinary sessions on September 2, 3, 9, 10, and 12.

Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasilia on January 8, 2023, a week after Lula’s inauguration, alleging electoral fraud.

Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019 to 2022, has maintained his innocence, describing any coup as abominable.

The prosecutor’s office asserts that Bolsonaro led an armed criminal organization that orchestrated the coup attempt.

However, the defense asserted that there was no way to convict Bolsonaro based on the evidence presented in the case file, which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he ordered the transfer of power to Lula.

His lawyers questioned the validity of the plea agreement between the court and Bolsonaro’s former aide, Lt. Col. Mauro Cide, on whose testimony many of the charges are based.

Bolsonaro’s legal wrangling has created tension between Brazil and the United States.

President Donald Trump described the trial as a witch hunt, and in response, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing Bolsonaro’s trial.

Trump also signed an executive order imposing 50% tariffs on several Brazilian imports, citing the politically motivated persecution of the former right-wing president.

Bolsonaro is currently under house arrest in Brasilia for violating a ban on using social media.