Brazil’s Supreme Court Begins Trial of Bolsonaro and Allies: First Day Highlights

Brazil’s Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF) opened on Tuesday the historic trial of former president Jair Bolsonaro and seven close allies accused of plotting to overturn the 2022 election and block Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office.

It is the first time in the country’s history that a former president and top generals face civilian justice for an attempted coup.

The defendants — retired generals Augusto Heleno, Walter Braga Netto, and Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, ex-ministers Anderson Torres and Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem, and former aide Mauro Cid — are on trial.

They face charges including attempted coup d’état, armed criminal organization, and violent attack on democratic order. Convictions could carry sentences of more than 30 years.

Moraes: “Impunity corrodes democracy”

The trial is being heard by the STF’s First Panel, composed of Justices Alexandre de Moraes, Flávio Dino, Luiz Fux, Cármen Lúcia, and Cristiano Zanin.

Opening the session, rapporteur Moraes declared: “Impunity, omission and cowardice are not options for pacification. The seemingly easiest path leaves scars and corrodes democracy.”

Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet urged conviction, calling the plot a “brazen affront” to the Constitution. “Punishing even a failed attempt to subvert government is essential to preserve democracy,” he said.

Much of the evidence rests on testimony by Bolsonaro’s former aide Mauro Cid, who turned state’s witness. Only one defendant, former defense minister Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, appeared in court.

He told reporters: “We believe in justice and in the evidence presented in our arguments.” Bolsonaro, citing health issues, stayed away, though he remains under house arrest in a separate case.

Defense: “Flat-Earth” reasoning

Each of the eight defense lawyers denied the charges, insisting the case is politically driven. Heleno’s lawyer mocked prosecutors’ reasoning as “argumentative flat-earthism”: “They build evidence to reach a conclusion already decided. Who did he call? With whom did he speak? There is nothing.”

Bolsonaro’s lawyer Celso Vilardi said his client “had no part in January 8” and in fact repudiated the riots. Admiral Almir Garnier’s lawyer quipped that silence in a meeting was absurdly portrayed as guilt: “How can one influence others by telepathy?”

In the afternoon, the justices rejected all preliminary defense motions, including a bid to annul Cid’s plea bargain and a claim that the case should be heard by the full 11-member court. Only Justice Luiz Fux dissented, arguing the full bench should decide.

By day’s end, all procedural obstacles had been cleared, allowing the Court to move directly to the substance of the charges when voting begins.

Divided press reactions

Brazil’s media split along political lines.

Left-leaning outlets such as Brasil 247 framed the trial as overdue accountability. They described Bolsonaro as weakened and “expecting conviction,” portraying the proceedings as essential to reinforce the rule of law.

Commentators stressed that this is one of the most consequential trials since the end of the dictatorship in 1985, a sign that even the most powerful figures can face justice.

Conservative papers like Gazeta do Povo emphasized the “alleged” coup attempt and highlighted the unusual fact that generals are being tried in a civilian court.

Their reports noted procedural uncertainties, such as how retired officers would serve time if convicted. They reminded readers that any sentences would not be enforced until appeals were exhausted.

Pro-Bolsonaro commentators went further, denouncing the trial as persecution. Congressman Captain Alden wrote online: “They say it’s an ‘impartial’ trial, but it’s judged by Moraes, Bolsonaro’s sworn enemy, and Zanin, Lula’s ex-lawyer. Impartial? What a joke.”

Another deputy, Evair de Melo, called the trial a “modern inquisition.” Such rhetoric was amplified by Jovem Pan, which framed the proceedings as politically motivated and highlighted opposition efforts in Congress to pass an amnesty law for January 8 participants.

The polarized coverage underscores how the trial is both a legal reckoning and a political theater, with each side mobilizing its narrative: one of accountability for coup-plotters, the other of victimization by an activist court.

What comes next

The STF has set aside five days across September for this first trial cluster. On Wednesday, the justices are expected to begin voting, starting with Moraes’s lengthy judgment. A simple majority of three votes will be enough for convictions.

If Bolsonaro and his allies are found guilty, sentences could reach decades, though enforcement will be delayed until appeals are exhausted. The verdict may not come before September 12.

Beyond the courtroom, the trial carries heavy political weight. Bolsonaro is already barred from office until 2030 due to a separate electoral case.

A conviction for attempted coup would deepen his isolation and embolden Lula’s government, but also risk further polarizing Brazil. In Congress, Bolsonaro’s allies are pushing for an amnesty law to shield those accused over the January 8 riots.

The symbolism is as important as the verdict. For supporters of Lula, the STF is defending democracy against those who sought to destroy it.

For Bolsonaro’s loyalists, the Court itself has become a symbol of overreach and partiality. As presiding Justice Cristiano Zanin noted in opening, the trial will be conducted “with serenity and legality.”

By the end of this week, Moraes’s first vote will indicate whether Brazil’s most controversial former president will also become its first to be criminally convicted of trying to topple democracy.