Brazil's public prosecutor's office proposed to the Supreme Court today that former President Jair Bolsonaro and seven co-defendants be convicted of coup d'état and criminal association for joint armed action.
The former president, who is politically far-right, faces 40 years in prison in a case before the Supreme Court of Brazil that is nearing completion.
He is accused of being the "leader of a criminal organization" that plotted to remain in power regardless of the outcome of the presidential election in October 2022, which was won by the current, leftist head of state, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
After verifying the defendants' involvement in these events, the chief prosecutor concluded that it was "necessary to convict them (...) for armed criminal association", "attempt to abolish a democratic state", "coup d'état" and other criminal offenses related to damage to public property, the prosecution announced.
The fate of the former president and his former associates is in the hands of Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who has been threatened with sanctions by Washington for rulings against American companies that own social media.
Bolsonaro's trial infuriated US President Donald Trump, his ally, who accused the Brazilian authorities of a "witch hunt" and announced the introduction of a 50 percent tariff on imports of Brazilian products starting August 1.
Bolsonaro, on the other hand, claims he is innocent and "persecuted."
He admitted in court that he had considered a "constitutional mechanism" to prevent Lula's inauguration.
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