Key facts
- Eduardo Bolsonaro convicted of coercion by Brazil's Supreme Court.
- Sentenced to over four years in prison.
- Conviction stems from lobbying U.S. for intervention in his father's coup trial.
- Ruling makes him ineligible for public office for eight years.
- Eduardo Bolsonaro claims political persecution and lack of due process.
Brazil's Supreme Court has convicted former lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro of coercion, sentencing him to four years and two months in prison. The conviction stems from allegations that he illegally interfered in his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro's, coup trial by lobbying the U.S. government to pressure Brazilian officials.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, who has argued he and his family are targets of unfair persecution, stated he was not properly notified of the court's legal process. The Prosecutor General's office charged him with seeking U.S. sanctions on justices and tariffs on Brazilian goods.
Bolsonaro moved to the U.S. in 2025, months before his father's conviction for plotting a coup to overthrow the 2022 election results. He claims his efforts were to ensure compliance with Brazil's constitution, not to acquit his father. The ruling makes him ineligible to run for public office for eight years, and the lower house of Congress had already removed him and stripped his salary.
The Trump administration had previously sanctioned Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, accusing him of abuses linked to his handling of Bolsonaro-related cases, though the U.S. has since withdrawn these sanctions. Current Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called the sanctions an 'unacceptable' interference in the country's justice system.